2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Management Transition Comes After Poor Response
Brinkman steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster early showing last fall.
Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had revealed the need for a clearer direction.
The president expressed that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to better meet player expectations.
Trend of Key Acquisitions
The news mirrors a comparable action taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock development group.
Below is the entire message from the president's announcement:
Dear Team—
I understand you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented creators we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to persist.”
Given your hard work and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.
The community feedback from last fall’s the game playtest was enlightening. It validated the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the requirement for a more distinct identity.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the feedback to heart and reimagined the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s positioned to achieve its ambition to our fans.
The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To further the remarkable development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the new Director of the team. After a period of discussions, Ben officially joins us on next week.
His management and background in the competitive gaming genre is considerable, having spent the recent years creating and overseeing some of the most popular series in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.
Please join me in welcoming Ben soon. We are all excited to persist witnessing the progress of Project ETHOS in the weeks to ahead.
The President
Experience of the New Head
The appointee presently holds the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Information and Vision
The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 together with a community playtest. At the time, the developers described the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting step forward on the category."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the official summary reads. "Face the competition with new abilities, challenges, and challenges that evolve every round. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Or go big, gamble everything, and hope your squad can secure victory? The choice is up to you."
Project Ethos has not yet received an announced debut schedule or consoles, but fans can expect additional details as creation continues.
