🔗 Share this article

2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Transition Comes After Poor Reception

The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had indicated the necessity for a clearer direction.

The president expressed that the team is now reimagining the project with a renewed vision, aiming to address community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

The news echoes a comparable move taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the complete text from the president's announcement:

Dear Team—

I know you all just finished your town hall - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a message, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative developers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re eager for that partnership to continue.”

With your dedication and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last fall’s the game demo was enlightening. It validated the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the requirement for a more distinct identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the input to consideration and revamped the title with a renewed goal - one that’s positioned to fulfill its potential to our fans.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the incredible advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome the new hire as the incoming Director of 31st Union. After a period of talks, he starts with us on Monday, October 20.

His management and experience in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having devoted the recent years developing and managing some of the most well-known franchises in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in greeting Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to persist observing the evolution of the game in the months to come.

The President

Experience of the New Head

The appointee currently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Concept

The upcoming game was revealed in last year together with a public demo. Initially, 31st Union presented the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward on the style."

"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 reads. "Face the opponents with unique powers, challenges, and obstacles that change every round. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively go big, put it on the line, and pray your team can achieve the highest spot? The choice is yours."

Project Ethos does not have an official launch window or supported systems, but fans can expect further news as creation advances.