🔗 Share this article

The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Transition Comes After Mixed Feedback

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer notified staff about this organizational change through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had revealed the requirement for a more defined direction.

The president noted that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a refreshed focus, aiming to better meet player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement follows a similar action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the entire message from the president's announcement:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Previously I shared you all a update, I stated the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and talented creators we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to continue.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It validated the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the need for a clearer identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the criticism to mind and reimagined the title with a revitalized goal - one that’s poised to achieve its promise to our audience.

Our confidence in this project grows every day. To advance the remarkable progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of the team. Following a period of talks, Ben comes aboard us on the specified date.

Ben’s management and background in the PVP shooter field is vast, having devoted the past decade and a half producing and overseeing some of the most well-known franchises in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in receiving Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to continue seeing the progress of the game in the time to come.

The President

Background of the New Leader

The appointee presently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He previously worked at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, prior to that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 alongside a early access event. Then, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative advancement 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 fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch states. "Challenge the competition with unique powers, stakes, and tests that change every session. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, put it on the line, and pray your squad can secure victory? The choice is up to you."

The game lacks an announced release date or supported systems, but players can anticipate additional details as development advances.