🔗 Share this article

2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Comes After Poor Feedback

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure updated team members about this strategic move through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the need for a more defined game identity.

The president expressed that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to address community desires.

Trend of Strategic Recruitment

The news mirrors a similar move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the complete content from the president's communication:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and innovative designers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to persist.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It affirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had refinements needed. It revealed the necessity for a sharper vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You took the criticism to mind and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s poised to fulfill its ambition to our fans.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To further the outstanding development you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce the new hire as the incoming Lead of the team. Following a period of discussions, Ben comes aboard us on next week.

His management and experience in the competitive gaming space is extensive, having spent the past decade and a half producing and overseeing some of the most popular titles in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in greeting him next week. We are all eager to keep witnessing the progress of Project ETHOS in the time to ahead.

David

Experience of the New Head

The appointee presently holds the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously worked at major gaming companies in various production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in last year alongside a early access event. Initially, the developers presented the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling advancement on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the official summary reads. "Take on the rivals with fresh skills, stakes, and obstacles that change every session. Do you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Alternatively take a risk, gamble everything, and trust your squad can earn top ranking? The choice is up to you."

Project Ethos does not have an official release date or supported systems, but players can look forward to more updates as production progresses.