🔗 Share this article

2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Comes After Lukewarm Response

The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure updated team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had shown the requirement for a distinct direction.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now refining the project with a revised vision, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

This announcement mirrors a similar action taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire text from Ismailer's communication:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just completed your town hall - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Previously I shared you all a update, I stated the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most driven and creative creators we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re eager for that relationship to persist.”

Given your hard work and versatility, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was enlightening. It affirmed the promise of a action-packed game but indicated we still had work to do. It revealed the need for a more distinct vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the feedback to mind and revamped the title with a revitalized goal - one that’s positioned to fulfill its ambition to our fans.

The trust in this project increases every day. To boost the remarkable development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of the team. Following some time of talks, he starts with us on next week.

Ben’s management and experience in the competitive gaming space is vast, having devoted the recent years creating and managing some of the most popular series in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in welcoming him next week. We are all looking forward to keep seeing the evolution of the game in the time to come.

David

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman currently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 in conjunction with a community playtest. Then, 31st Union presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative advancement on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary reads. "Challenge the competition with new abilities, challenges, and tests that shift every round. Do you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Or aim high, risk it all, and trust your squad can earn top ranking? The option is in your hands."

Project Ethos has not yet received an official launch window or supported systems, but players can look forward to more updates as creation progresses.