2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the forthcoming third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Shift Comes After Mixed Response
Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing early showing last autumn.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had shown the requirement for a distinct vision.
The president expressed that the developers is now overhauling the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to address community desires.
Trend of Key Hires
This announcement follows a similar step taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock development group.
Below is the entire text from the president's communication:
Team—
I understand you all just wrapped up your gathering - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a update, I stated the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative creators we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to persist.”
With your dedication and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.
The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It confirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the necessity for a clearer identity.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the criticism to heart and overhauled the title with a revitalized goal - one that’s positioned to deliver on its ambition to our fans.
Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To boost the remarkable development you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. After some time of conversations, Ben starts with us on Monday, October 20.
His leadership and experience in the competitive gaming space is extensive, having dedicated the past decade and a half creating and overseeing some of the most recognizable titles in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.
Please join me in greeting him next week. We are all excited to keep witnessing the evolution of the game in the time to come.
David
Experience of the Incoming Head
The appointee presently holds the role of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He previously worked at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had stints at other industry leaders.
Game Details and Concept
Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 together with a public demo. Initially, 31st Union described the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative step forward on the genre."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch reads. "Take on the rivals with fresh skills, challenges, and tests that evolve every match. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively go big, risk it all, and pray your group can secure victory? The option is up to you."
Project Ethos lacks an official debut schedule or supported systems, but players can look forward to additional details as production progresses.
