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What is Project Ethos? Roguelike hero shooter from 2K explained

Project Ethos is a fresh third-person shooter and features a roguelike experience for the community. The game is currently under development by 2K and only available in a playtest environment that started on October 17, 2024, and is set to conclude on October 20. Enthusiasts can grab a key for the beta access by watching Twitch streams and securing a drop.

Project Ethos' official website mentions it's a free-to-play title. However, the game is currently only available on Steam and is limited to North America and Europe. The game arrived boasting different characters with abilities that can be used to turn the tides on the battlefield.

This article will highlight Project Ethos and drive deeper into the game’s details.

Note: Parts of the article are subjective and reflect the author’s opinion.


Project Ethos game modes explained

Two primary game modes in Project Ethos will be available in the playlist during the community. Here is a quick overview of both modes:

Trials

In this open-world experience, players need to fight off opponents while collecting Cores. This game mode is supposedly designed to bring a PvPvE (Player versus Player versus Environment) twist to the game, much like Call of Duty’s DMZ mode. However, Trials is much simpler as players only need to gather as many cores as possible and make it out of the map alive.

Project Ethos features two game modes in playtest (Image via 2K)
Project Ethos features two game modes in playtest (Image via 2K)

Also Read: How to get Project Ethos early access for free

The extraction points for everyone are always available and marked on the map. But it is best to stay prepared as other players can ambush you in these areas and take away the hard-earned cores. SIERRA bots are present all over the area and will attack players as they are spotted in an effective range.

Once you return from the open world map, you will find yourself in Haven where you can spend the cores to upgrade Augmentations. These power-ups will help you travel the open world with ease the next time you deploy to get cores.


Gauntlet

Gauntlet is a straightforward PvP mode where players will be placed into teams and need to fight against each other. The first team to score three victorious rounds wins the match. The only way to win is to eliminate the entire opposing team.

Round-based team PvP modes have been classic must-haves for shooter titles, be it first- or third-person. The inclusion of such a mode is crucial for players to test their combat skills and pave the way for future ranked modes in a similar format.


All Project Ethos Heroes

There are currently six Heroes in the game that players can choose from:

Rojas (Short-range Skirmisher)

Specializes in speed, power, and precision.

Breeze (Explosive Rocketeer)

Utilizes Rockets to take down enemies.

Rayo (Mid-range Assault)

Players can enjoy a more classic soldier-like experience with this hero, who can sprint and utilize powerful weapons.

Prism (Light Bending Sniper)

This hero is hard to catch because of elusive abilities and can hit high-damage shots.

Arbor (Poison and Protection)

Arbor can cure and curse with the power of nature.

Giacomo (Heavy-duty Defense)

This hero specializes in defense and can deal lethal damage when necessary.


Crossplay support and Matchmaking in Project Ethos

The current playtest is limited to only PC players via Steam. Moreover, the developers have gone ahead with a region-locked phase where only NA and EU servers would be active. This is being done to ensure a smooth gameplay experience for the limited number of players as the majority of the servers aren't yet active.

Project Ethos roguelike shooter title (Image via 2K)
Project Ethos roguelike shooter title (Image via 2K)

All game modes during the playtest will be held in teams of three. Players are free to squad up on their own as a Duo or a Trio as the matchmaking system will take care of filling the open positions in the team. Since the game is only available on Steam, there are no obstacles in the route for matchmaking and crossplay at the current stage.


Eligibility for playtest

Here's a list of all the countries that are eligible to participate in the ongoing Project Ethos playtest:

  • US
  • Canada
  • Mexico
  • UK
  • Ireland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Spain
  • Italy

Players from these locations can access the game in its test phase. This is done to ensure the best gameplay experience as the number of active servers is limited. Here's a list of all the languages that the game currently supports:

  • English
  • French
  • Italian
  • German
  • Spanish (EU)
  • Spanish (LATAM)

The developers have also ingrained a reporting process to protect the overall integrity of the game. Players can report other users with specific reasons from the game directly. Alternatively, they can contact the official support team and send a detailed report of the violations with photo or video evidence.


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