🔗 Share this article

2K Games has appointed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Shift Comes After Lukewarm Response

Brinkman 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' underwhelming unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed staff about this strategic move through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had indicated the requirement for a more defined game identity.

Ismailer noted that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a renewed vision, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

Trend of Strategic Acquisitions

This announcement follows a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the complete text from Ismailer's communication:

Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a update, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and talented designers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to endure.”

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

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It validated the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It revealed the requirement for a clearer brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the input to mind and reimagined the title with a renewed goal - one that’s positioned to fulfill its potential to our players.

The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To further the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce Ben Brinkman as the new Studio Head of the team. Following some time of discussions, he comes aboard us on next week.

Ben’s management and background in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having spent the recent years developing and managing some of the most popular franchises in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in greeting Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to continue observing the progress of the game in the weeks to follow.

The President

Background of the New Head

The appointee currently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Concept

The upcoming game was unveiled in last year in conjunction with a early access event. Then, 31st Union presented the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative advancement on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch states. "Challenge the competition with new abilities, stakes, and tests that change every round. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, gamble everything, and pray your squad can achieve the highest spot? The choice is yours."

The game has not yet received an announced debut schedule or consoles, but players can anticipate additional details as development continues.