🔗 Share this article

2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the anticipated over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Follows Poor Feedback

Brinkman steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster unveiling last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified team members about this organizational change through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had revealed the need for a more defined direction.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a refreshed focus, aiming to address gamer demands.

Trend of Strategic Recruitment

The news mirrors a similar action taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire content from the president's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a message, I stated the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and innovative designers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to continue.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game demo was enlightening. It confirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but told us we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the requirement for a clearer vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the input to heart and overhauled the title with a renewed vision - one that’s poised to deliver on its potential to our fans.

Our confidence in this project grows every day. To further the outstanding progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome the new hire as the latest Director of 31st Union. After several months of talks, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His management and background in the PVP shooter space is extensive, having spent the past decade and a half developing and leading some of the most well-known titles in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in greeting Ben next week. We are all excited to keep witnessing the progress of the game in the time to follow.

David

Experience of the Incoming Leader

The appointee presently holds the role of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He previously was employed at major gaming companies in various development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Concept

Project Ethos was revealed in last year in conjunction with a public demo. Then, the developers described the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting evolution on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary states. "Face the rivals with fresh skills, risks, and tests that shift every round. Do you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Or take a risk, risk it all, and hope your team can earn top ranking? The option is yours."

The game does not have an announced launch window or supported systems, but fans can look forward to further news as creation continues.