The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last fall.
Recently, 2K president a key figure notified employees about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had revealed the necessity for a clearer game identity.
The president stated that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to better meet community desires.
This announcement follows a similar move taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the BioShock development group.
Below is the complete text from Ismailer's communication:
Hello Everyone—
I understand you all just finished your town hall - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Previously I shared you all a message, I stated the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and creative designers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to persist.”
Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.
The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was enlightening. It validated the promise of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had work to do. It revealed the requirement for a more distinct brand.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the input to heart and overhauled the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s ready to achieve its ambition to our fans.
The belief in this project grows every day. To further the remarkable development you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome Ben Brinkman as the latest Lead of 31st Union. Following a period of conversations, he comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.
Ben’s leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming field is considerable, having spent the past decade and a half creating and overseeing some of the most recognizable franchises in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.
Let’s together in receiving Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to continue seeing the progress of Project ETHOS in the weeks to ahead.
The President
The appointee currently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.
Project Ethos was announced in last year together with a early access event. Then, 31st Union presented the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward on the genre."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the official summary reads. "Take on the rivals with new abilities, stakes, and tests that change every session. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or aim high, gamble everything, and pray your team can earn top ranking? The option is in your hands."
The game has not yet received an confirmed debut schedule or supported systems, but enthusiasts can expect more updates as production advances.
Elara Vance is a seasoned sports analyst with over a decade of experience in betting strategies and statistical analysis.
