2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Management Shift Comes After Mixed Feedback
Brinkman steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.
On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure informed staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the need for a distinct game identity.
The president noted that the team is now reimagining the project with a refreshed focus, aiming to address player expectations.
A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment
The news mirrors a similar move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock development group.
Here is the entire content from the president's announcement:
Dear Team—
I know you all just completed your meeting - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most driven and creative developers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to endure.”
With your dedication and flexibility, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.
The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It affirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the requirement for a sharper vision.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the criticism to mind and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s positioned to achieve its ambition to our players.
The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To further the incredible development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce the new hire as the latest Lead of the team. After some time of discussions, he officially joins us on next week.
His leadership and background in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having spent the last 15 years producing and overseeing some of the most well-known titles in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.
Please join me in welcoming Ben next week. We are all looking forward to continue observing the progress of the game in the months to follow.
David
Experience of the New Head
The appointee currently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Information and Vision
The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 in conjunction with a early access event. At the time, 31st Union described the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting step forward on the style."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the official summary states. "Face the competition with unique powers, challenges, and obstacles that shift every round. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Or aim high, put it on the line, and pray your squad can earn top ranking? The option is yours."
The game has not yet received an confirmed debut schedule or supported systems, but fans can anticipate further news as production progresses.
