The Gaming Giant Hires Apex Legends Producer to Rescue Struggling Hero Shooter Project Ethos

2K Games has appointed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the forthcoming third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Shift Follows Lukewarm Feedback

The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer notified employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a clearer direction.

The president noted that the developers is now refining the project with a renewed approach, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

The news echoes a comparable step taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the complete text from Ismailer's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and innovative developers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to continue.”

Through your commitment and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was revealing. It validated the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the necessity for a clearer vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the criticism to consideration and revamped the title with a renewed goal - one that’s ready to achieve its ambition to our audience.

The trust in this project strengthens every day. To further the outstanding development you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce the new hire as the new Director of the team. After several months of conversations, Ben comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming field is considerable, having spent the last 15 years creating and leading some of the most recognizable franchises in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in greeting him soon. We are all excited to continue seeing the evolution of the game in the months to ahead.

The President

Background of the Incoming Head

Brinkman presently serves in the role of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously was employed at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 alongside a community playtest. Initially, the developers presented the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting step forward on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the description explains. "Face the opponents with fresh skills, risks, and tests that shift every round. Will you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and pray your squad can achieve the highest spot? The decision is yours."

The game lacks an announced launch window or platforms, but fans can look forward to additional details as creation advances.