2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.
Management Change Follows Lukewarm Reception
Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming unveiling last autumn.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified staff about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had revealed the necessity for a clearer direction.
Ismailer stated that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to satisfy community desires.
A Pattern of Key Acquisitions
This announcement echoes a comparable step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Below is the entire content from Ismailer's communication:
Dear Team—
I know you all just completed your gathering - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a note, I stated the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and talented creators we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that relationship to endure.”
Given your hard work and versatility, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.
The gamer responses from last fall’s the game demo was revealing. It affirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had refinements needed. It revealed the requirement for a clearer identity.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the feedback to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s positioned to fulfill its potential to our fans.
Our confidence in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the outstanding development you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome the new hire as the incoming Director of the team. Following some time of discussions, Ben officially joins us on next week.
His guidance and background in the PVP shooter space is extensive, having spent the past decade and a half producing and managing some of the most popular franchises in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.
Let’s together in receiving him in the coming days. We are all looking forward to persist witnessing the progress of the game in the time to ahead.
The President
Experience of the Incoming Head
The appointee currently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously worked at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.
Title Information and Concept
Project Ethos was revealed in last year in conjunction with a public demo. Initially, the developers portrayed the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting step forward on the style."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch reads. "Face the competition with fresh skills, stakes, and tests that evolve every session. Will you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, put it on the line, and trust your team can secure victory? The choice is yours."
Project Ethos lacks an official debut schedule or platforms, but fans can look forward to additional details as development advances.
