The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Leadership Change Comes After Poor Feedback
The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's disappointing unveiling last fall.
Recently, 2K president a key figure informed employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had revealed the requirement for a clearer vision.
The president expressed that the team is now overhauling the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to better meet player expectations.
A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions
This announcement echoes a similar step taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Below is the entire message from the president's announcement:
Team—
I understand you all just finished your meeting - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative developers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re excited for that partnership to continue.”
Given your hard work and versatility, especially over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.
The community feedback from last fall’s the game playtest was enlightening. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had improvements to make. It revealed the necessity for a sharper brand.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the feedback to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s ready to fulfill its ambition to our audience.
Our confidence in this project increases every day. To boost the remarkable development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce the new hire as the latest Studio Head of the team. After some time of talks, Ben starts with us on next week.
His management and expertise in the PVP shooter space is extensive, having dedicated the past decade and a half creating and leading some of the most recognizable series in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.
I invite you all in welcoming Ben soon. We are all eager to persist seeing the development of Project ETHOS in the time to follow.
The President
Experience of the Incoming Leader
Brinkman presently holds the position of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had periods at other industry leaders.
Game Information and Vision
Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 together with a public demo. Initially, 31st Union presented the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting step forward on the style."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the description states. "Challenge the rivals with unique powers, risks, and challenges that shift every session. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or aim high, risk it all, and trust your squad can secure victory? The choice is yours."
Project Ethos does not have an official launch window or supported systems, but players can look forward to more updates as development advances.
