2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Leadership Change Comes After Mixed Response
The new appointee takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster initial reveal last fall.
Recently, 2K president a key figure informed staff about this decision through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had revealed the necessity for a distinct vision.
Ismailer expressed that the team is now reimagining the project with a revised vision, aiming to better meet player expectations.
Trend of Key Hires
The news mirrors a comparable action taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise development group.
Below is the full content from the president's announcement:
Team—
I know you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Previously I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and talented creators we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to persist.”
With your dedication and versatility, especially over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.
The player input from last autumn’s the game demo was revealing. It confirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the requirement for a more distinct vision.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the criticism to consideration and revamped the title with a renewed goal - one that’s positioned to achieve its ambition to our players.
The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the outstanding progress you’ve made, I’m excited to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. Following some time of conversations, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.
Ben’s guidance and experience in the competitive gaming field is considerable, having devoted the last 15 years developing and managing some of the most well-known series in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.
Let’s together in greeting Ben next week. We are all excited to continue observing the progress of Project ETHOS in the months to follow.
The President
Experience of the New Head
The appointee currently serves in the role of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Game Details and Concept
Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 alongside a early access event. At the time, 31st Union described the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective 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 match your preferred approach," the description states. "Challenge the rivals with fresh skills, stakes, and challenges that evolve every round. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, risk it all, and pray your team can secure victory? The choice is up to you."
Project Ethos lacks an official launch window or consoles, but enthusiasts can look forward to further news as production continues.
