The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.
Management Shift Comes After Poor Reception
Brinkman assumes the role of studio head at the development studio following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster early showing last fall.
Recently, 2K president a key figure notified team members about this decision through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had indicated the necessity for a more defined game identity.
Ismailer expressed that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to address player expectations.
A Pattern of Key Hires
This announcement mirrors a comparable move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the complete text from Ismailer's announcement:
Team—
I know you all just completed your town hall - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative designers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to continue.”
Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.
The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was revealing. It affirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the necessity for a sharper identity.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the feedback to heart and reimagined the title with a revitalized vision - one that’s positioned to achieve its potential to our audience.
Our confidence in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To boost the outstanding advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce the new hire as the incoming Director of 31st Union. After several months of conversations, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.
His management and expertise in the competitive gaming field is vast, having dedicated the past decade and a half creating and leading some of the most popular franchises in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.
I invite you all in welcoming him next week. We are all eager to continue observing the evolution of the game in the months to come.
David
Experience of the New Leader
The appointee currently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, prior to that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Details and Concept
The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 together with a public demo. Then, 31st Union presented the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative step forward on the style."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the official summary states. "Challenge the opponents with new abilities, challenges, and obstacles that change every session. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Or aim high, gamble everything, and hope your squad can achieve the highest spot? The option is yours."
The game lacks an announced debut schedule or supported systems, but players can expect more updates as production advances.
