The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Transition Follows Poor Reception
Brinkman steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster unveiling last autumn.
Recently, 2K president a key figure notified staff about this organizational change through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had revealed the requirement for a distinct direction.
The president stated that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed approach, aiming to address player expectations.
A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment
The news follows a comparable step taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock development group.
Here is the complete text from Ismailer's announcement:
Dear Team—
I understand you all just completed your gathering - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a message, I stated the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most driven and innovative creators we have had the chance to work with - and we’re excited for that relationship to endure.”
With your dedication and versatility, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.
The community feedback from last autumn’s the game playtest was enlightening. It validated the appeal of a action-packed game but told us we still had refinements needed. It revealed the requirement for a more distinct vision.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the input to consideration and revamped Project ETHOS with a revitalized direction - one that’s positioned to fulfill its promise to our audience.
The belief in this project grows every day. To further the outstanding development you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce the new hire as the new Director of 31st Union. Following several months of talks, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.
His leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming field is extensive, having dedicated the recent years creating and managing some of the most recognizable series in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.
Let’s together in receiving Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to persist seeing the evolution of the game in the weeks to follow.
The President
Experience of the New Head
Brinkman presently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Details and Concept
The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 together with a community playtest. Initially, 31st Union portrayed 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! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch explains. "Challenge the rivals with fresh skills, challenges, and challenges that change every round. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and trust your team can achieve the highest spot? The choice is yours."
Project Ethos does not have an official release date or consoles, but fans can anticipate more updates as production progresses.
