2K Games has appointed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Leadership Shift Follows Poor Response
Brinkman assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster early showing last fall.
On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer informed team members about this decision through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had indicated the need for a distinct direction.
The president noted that the team is now refining the project with a renewed approach, aiming to satisfy player expectations.
A Pattern of Key Acquisitions
This announcement mirrors a similar step taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.
Below is the complete message from the president's announcement:
Team—
I understand you all just finished your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a update, I stated the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and creative developers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re excited for that partnership to persist.”
Through your commitment and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.
The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was enlightening. It confirmed the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had refinements needed. It revealed the necessity for a sharper vision.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the feedback to mind and overhauled the title with a revitalized goal - one that’s ready to deliver on its ambition to our fans.
The belief in this project grows every day. To further the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of the team. After several months of discussions, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.
His guidance and expertise in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having spent the past decade and a half developing and leading some of the most well-known franchises in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.
I invite you all in receiving Ben next week. We are all looking forward to continue seeing the progress of the game in the months to follow.
The President
Experience of the Incoming Head
The appointee currently holds the position of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Details and Vision
Project Ethos was unveiled in last year alongside a community playtest. Initially, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward 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. "Face the opponents with new abilities, challenges, and tests that evolve every match. Do you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and trust your group can secure victory? The option is up to you."
Project Ethos does not have an announced debut schedule or supported systems, but fans can anticipate more updates as creation continues.
