The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Change Comes After Mixed Feedback
The new appointee steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last fall.
On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure informed employees about this decision through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had indicated the need for a distinct game identity.
The president expressed that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed vision, aiming to better meet player expectations.
A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions
The news echoes a comparable step taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the complete content from Ismailer's communication:
Team—
I understand you all just wrapped up your gathering - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented creators we have had the chance to work with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to continue.”
Given your hard work and versatility, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.
The gamer responses from last fall’s the game testing phase was enlightening. It affirmed the promise of a action-packed game but made clear we still had refinements needed. It revealed the requirement for a sharper identity.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the criticism to mind and revamped Project ETHOS with a refreshed direction - one that’s poised to achieve its promise to our audience.
The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To further the outstanding progress you’ve made, I’m excited to announce the new hire as the latest Director of 31st Union. After several months of conversations, Ben starts with us on Monday, October 20.
His leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter space is extensive, having devoted the past decade and a half creating and leading some of the most well-known franchises in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.
Let’s together in greeting him in the coming days. We are all eager to continue observing the progress of Project ETHOS in the months to ahead.
The President
Experience of the New Head
Brinkman presently holds the role of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Details and Vision
The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. Then, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling evolution on the style."
"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 game's pitch states. "Take on the rivals with new abilities, challenges, and obstacles that evolve every session. Will you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Or go big, risk it all, and pray your team can achieve the highest spot? The choice is up to you."
Project Ethos lacks an official debut schedule or supported systems, but players can look forward to additional details as creation progresses.
