The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently working on the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Leadership Transition Comes After Lukewarm Response
Brinkman steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster initial reveal last autumn.
Recently, 2K president David Ismailer updated employees about this decision through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had indicated the need for a distinct vision.
Ismailer stated that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a refreshed focus, aiming to satisfy community desires.
Trend of Key Acquisitions
This announcement follows a similar step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise development group.
Below is the entire content from Ismailer's announcement:
Team—
I know you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a update, I stated the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and talented developers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that partnership to endure.”
Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.
The community feedback from last autumn’s the game testing phase was revealing. It affirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the need for a sharper brand.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the feedback to heart and revamped the title with a revitalized vision - one that’s positioned to deliver on its ambition to our audience.
The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of the team. Following some time of conversations, Ben comes aboard us on next week.
Ben’s guidance and expertise in the competitive gaming genre is considerable, having devoted the recent years creating and leading some of the most popular franchises in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.
Let’s together in receiving him soon. We are all looking forward to keep witnessing the evolution of the game in the weeks to follow.
David
Experience of the Incoming Leader
Brinkman currently holds the position of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had assignments at other industry leaders.
Game Information and Vision
Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 together with a community playtest. Initially, the developers described the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting advancement on the style."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch states. "Take on the opponents with unique powers, stakes, and challenges that shift every round. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and hope your squad can secure victory? The choice is up to you."
Project Ethos does not have an confirmed launch window or consoles, but fans can anticipate further news as creation continues.
