🔗 Share this article

The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Shift Follows Poor Feedback

Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing unveiling last autumn.

Recently, 2K president a key figure notified employees about this strategic move through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had revealed the need for a more defined vision.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a refreshed focus, aiming to satisfy community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

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

Here is the full content from Ismailer's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and creative creators we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to persist.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It validated the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had work to do. It highlighted the necessity for a sharper identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the criticism to heart and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s positioned to achieve its ambition to our audience.

The trust in this project increases every day. To advance the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome the new hire as the latest Lead of the team. Following some time of talks, Ben starts with us on the specified date.

Ben’s management and background in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having dedicated the recent years developing and overseeing some of the most popular titles in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in receiving Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to keep observing the development of Project ETHOS in the time to follow.

The President

Background of the Incoming Leader

The appointee presently holds the role of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously worked at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 alongside a public demo. Initially, the developers portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting step forward 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 match your preferred approach," the description states. "Take on the opponents with fresh skills, risks, and tests that shift every round. Will you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Or take a risk, risk it all, and trust your group can earn top ranking? The option is yours."

The game does not have an official debut schedule or supported systems, but fans can expect more updates as creation continues.