2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Shift Follows Poor Reception
Brinkman steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last fall.
On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure updated employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the necessity for a clearer vision.
The president expressed that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a refreshed focus, aiming to address gamer demands.
Trend of Strategic Recruitment
This announcement mirrors a comparable move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock development group.
Below is the entire message from Ismailer's communication:
Hello Everyone—
I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a update, I stated the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and innovative designers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to continue.”
Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.
The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It affirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the necessity for a more distinct identity.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the input to consideration and reimagined the title with a renewed direction - one that’s poised to fulfill its promise to our fans.
The trust in this project increases every day. To further the incredible progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce the new hire as the incoming Director of 31st Union. After a period of talks, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.
His leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having spent the recent years creating and managing some of the most popular titles in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.
Let’s together in welcoming Ben soon. We are all excited to continue observing the progress of the game in the weeks to come.
The President
Background of the New Head
The appointee presently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, prior to that, had periods at other industry leaders.
Title Information and Concept
Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 alongside a community playtest. Then, the developers portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward on the category."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary states. "Take on the competition with fresh skills, risks, and tests that evolve every match. Will you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, risk it all, and pray your squad can secure victory? The option is up to you."
The game has not yet received an announced launch window or platforms, but enthusiasts can anticipate further news as development continues.
