The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Transition Follows Mixed Response
Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster early showing last fall.
Recently, 2K president a key figure informed staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had shown the need for a more defined game identity.
Ismailer expressed that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to better meet gamer demands.
Trend of Key Recruitment
The news follows a similar move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the entire content from Ismailer's announcement:
Team—
I know you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and talented designers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re excited for that partnership to endure.”
With your dedication and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.
The player input from last autumn’s the game demo was informative. It affirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had work to do. It highlighted the necessity for a clearer vision.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the input to mind and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s positioned to deliver on its potential to our fans.
The belief in Project ETHOS increases every day. To advance the incredible progress you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of the team. After several months of conversations, he starts with us on the specified date.
Ben’s management and expertise in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having devoted the recent years producing and leading some of the most popular franchises in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.
Please join me in receiving him in the coming days. We are all eager to continue witnessing the progress of the game in the time to come.
The President
Experience of the New Head
The appointee presently holds the position of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier worked at major gaming companies in various development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.
Title Details and Vision
The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 alongside a community playtest. Initially, 31st Union presented the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting advancement 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 fit your unique tactics," the description states. "Face the rivals with new abilities, stakes, and obstacles that evolve every session. Will you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Or aim high, gamble everything, and trust your team can secure victory? The option is in your hands."
Project Ethos does not have an announced release date or platforms, but fans can look forward to additional details as development continues.
