The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Management Shift Follows Poor Response
Brinkman steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing initial reveal last fall.
Recently, 2K president David Ismailer notified staff about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the requirement for a distinct vision.
Ismailer expressed that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.
A Pattern of Key Hires
This announcement mirrors a similar move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.
Below is the complete content from the president's memo:
Dear Team—
I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative developers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re eager 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 autumn’s the game testing phase was revealing. It affirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but told us we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the need for a more distinct vision.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the input to consideration and revamped the title with a renewed direction - one that’s poised to achieve its ambition to our audience.
The trust in Project ETHOS grows every day. To further the outstanding development you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome Ben Brinkman as the latest Director of 31st Union. Following several months of discussions, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.
His management and background in the PVP shooter field is considerable, having spent the past decade and a half developing and overseeing some of the most recognizable titles in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.
I invite you all in welcoming him soon. We are all looking forward to continue seeing the progress of the game in the time to follow.
The President
Experience of the Incoming Leader
Brinkman presently holds the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously worked at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Game Details and Concept
Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. Initially, 31st Union presented the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling evolution on the genre."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the official summary explains. "Face the competition with fresh skills, stakes, and challenges that change every session. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or aim high, put it on the line, and pray your team can achieve the highest spot? The decision is yours."
Project Ethos does not have an confirmed debut schedule or supported systems, but fans can anticipate more updates as creation progresses.
