2K Recruits Apex Legends Lead to Rescue Challenged Action Game Ambitious Title

2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Transition Comes After Lukewarm Response

The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure notified staff about this decision through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had indicated the necessity for a distinct game identity.

The president expressed that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a refreshed focus, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Hires

The news echoes a comparable move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the complete message from the president's memo:

Team—

I know you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative developers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to continue.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was enlightening. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the need for a sharper identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the feedback to mind and reimagined the title with a revitalized vision - one that’s ready to deliver on its ambition to our players.

The trust in this project strengthens every day. To further the outstanding advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce the new hire as the latest Studio Head of the team. After a period of talks, he comes aboard us on next week.

His guidance and background in the PVP shooter field is considerable, having dedicated the recent years developing and leading some of the most recognizable titles in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in greeting him in the coming days. We are all looking forward to persist observing the progress of Project ETHOS in the time to follow.

The President

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman currently serves in the role of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 in conjunction with a early access event. At the time, the developers portrayed the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch states. "Face the opponents with unique powers, stakes, and tests that change every round. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, risk it all, and hope your team can secure victory? The decision is yours."

The game lacks an official debut schedule or platforms, but enthusiasts can anticipate additional details as development continues.