2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the anticipated over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.
Leadership Transition Follows Lukewarm Reception
The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's disappointing early showing last fall.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed staff about this decision through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had revealed the necessity for a more defined direction.
The president stated that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.
A Pattern of Key Recruitment
The news echoes a similar step 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 full text from the president's communication:
Team—
I know you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most driven and innovative developers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re eager for that relationship to endure.”
Through your commitment and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.
The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was revealing. It validated the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the requirement for a more distinct brand.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the criticism to consideration and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s poised to fulfill its ambition to our players.
Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To boost the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the new Director of 31st Union. Following a period of conversations, he starts with us on next week.
Ben’s guidance and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having dedicated the past decade and a half creating and managing some of the most recognizable franchises in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.
Let’s together in greeting Ben next week. We are all excited to continue seeing the development of Project ETHOS in the weeks to ahead.
David
Experience of the Incoming Leader
Brinkman presently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Game Details and Concept
The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 alongside a public demo. Then, 31st Union presented the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative evolution on the category."
"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 game's pitch states. "Face the opponents with unique powers, risks, and obstacles that shift every session. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or aim high, gamble everything, and hope your team can earn top ranking? The decision is yours."
Project Ethos has not yet received an official release date or consoles, but fans can expect more updates as production continues.
