🔗 Share this article

2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Transition Follows Lukewarm Response

Brinkman steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure notified employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had indicated the requirement for a more defined game identity.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a renewed vision, aiming to satisfy community desires.

A Pattern of Key Acquisitions

This announcement follows a similar action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the complete text from Ismailer's memo:

Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your gathering - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a message, I stated the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented creators we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to endure.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last fall’s the game demo was informative. It confirmed the promise of a action-packed game but told us 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 embraced the feedback to heart and overhauled the title with a revitalized vision - one that’s positioned to achieve its promise to our audience.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To advance the outstanding progress you’ve made, I’m excited to announce Ben Brinkman as the new Studio Head of 31st Union. Following several months of conversations, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming space is vast, having devoted the recent years creating and overseeing some of the most well-known franchises in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in greeting Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to persist witnessing the development of the game in the months to come.

The President

Background of the Incoming Leader

The appointee presently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 in conjunction with a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union described the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative evolution on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch explains. "Take on the rivals with new abilities, challenges, and challenges that evolve every match. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, put it on the line, and trust your team can secure victory? The option is in your hands."

The game does not have an official launch window or platforms, but enthusiasts can look forward to further news as creation progresses.