The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Management Shift Follows Lukewarm Feedback
Brinkman assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing initial reveal last fall.
On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer informed team members about this strategic move through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had revealed the requirement for a more defined game identity.
The president stated that the developers is now refining the project with a revised approach, aiming to better meet community desires.
Trend of Key Hires
This announcement follows a comparable step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.
Below is the complete content from the president's announcement:
Hello Everyone—
I know you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a note, I stated the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and talented developers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to persist.”
With your dedication and versatility, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.
The gamer responses from last fall’s the game demo was revealing. It validated the appeal of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It revealed the need for a more distinct identity.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the input to heart and overhauled the title with a renewed vision - one that’s positioned to fulfill its ambition to our audience.
Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To further the outstanding progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Director of 31st Union. Following a period of conversations, Ben comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.
His leadership and background in the PVP shooter space is vast, having spent the past decade and a half creating and managing some of the most popular franchises in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.
Please join me in welcoming him soon. We are all excited to continue observing the evolution of the game in the months to ahead.
The President
Experience of the Incoming Leader
Brinkman presently holds the role of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had periods at other industry leaders.
Title Information and Vision
Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 alongside a public demo. Then, 31st Union portrayed the game 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! Customize your character in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the official summary explains. "Challenge the opponents with fresh skills, challenges, and challenges that evolve every round. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or go big, gamble everything, and hope your group can earn top ranking? The decision is up to you."
Project Ethos lacks an announced release date or platforms, but fans can look forward to further news as creation progresses.
