The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Transition Follows Mixed Feedback
Brinkman assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.
On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure informed employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the necessity for a more defined game identity.
The president expressed that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to address player expectations.
A Pattern of Key Acquisitions
The news mirrors a similar move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the entire message from Ismailer's memo:
Team—
I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a update, I stated the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and innovative designers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to continue.”
With your dedication and flexibility, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.
The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was revealing. It validated the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the necessity for a clearer identity.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the criticism to mind and revamped Project ETHOS with a refreshed direction - one that’s poised to fulfill its ambition to our audience.
The belief in Project ETHOS grows every day. To further the remarkable progress you’ve made, I’m excited to announce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of the team. After several months of discussions, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.
Ben’s leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming space is considerable, having devoted the past decade and a half developing and managing some of the most popular titles in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.
Please join me in receiving Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to keep observing the progress of Project ETHOS in the months to come.
David
Experience of the Incoming Leader
The appointee presently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had periods at other industry leaders.
Title Details and Vision
The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 together with a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union described the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the genre."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the description states. "Challenge the opponents with new abilities, risks, and challenges that shift every match. Do you leave securely with your collected items? Alternatively aim high, put it on the line, and pray your squad can earn top ranking? The option is yours."
The game does not have an confirmed release date or platforms, but enthusiasts can expect further news as development continues.
