The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Transition Comes After Poor Response
Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing early showing last fall.
On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure informed team members about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had shown the requirement for a more defined direction.
The president noted that the team is now overhauling the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to better meet community desires.
A Pattern of Strategic Hires
The news mirrors a similar step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the complete message from Ismailer's communication:
Hello Everyone—
I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Previously I shared you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative developers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re eager for that partnership to persist.”
Given your hard work and adaptability, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.
The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It affirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the need for a clearer identity.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the criticism to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a refreshed direction - one that’s positioned to deliver on its potential to our fans.
The belief in this project strengthens every day. To advance the outstanding progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of 31st Union. Following several months of discussions, Ben starts with us on next week.
His leadership and background in the competitive gaming space is vast, having devoted the past decade and a half creating and leading some of the most popular titles in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.
Please join me in receiving him in the coming days. We are all eager to keep witnessing the progress of the game in the weeks to ahead.
The President
Experience of the New Head
Brinkman presently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Game Details and Concept
The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 in conjunction with a early access event. Initially, the developers presented the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting step forward on the genre."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the description reads. "Take on the opponents with unique powers, challenges, and challenges that shift every session. Will you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively go big, put it on the line, and trust your team can achieve the highest spot? The option is up to you."
Project Ethos lacks an announced launch window or platforms, but players can anticipate more updates as creation advances.
