The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Leadership Shift Follows Mixed Reception
The new appointee takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing early showing last autumn.
Recently, 2K president David Ismailer updated staff about this strategic move through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had revealed the necessity for a more defined game identity.
Ismailer expressed that the developers is now overhauling the project with a revised vision, aiming to better meet player expectations.
A Pattern of Strategic Hires
The news follows a similar step taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the full text from Ismailer's announcement:
Team—
I understand you all just completed your town hall - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and innovative developers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re excited for that partnership to persist.”
With your dedication and versatility, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.
The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It confirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had work to do. It highlighted the requirement for a more distinct brand.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the feedback to consideration and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s ready to fulfill its ambition to our players.
The trust in this project strengthens every day. To boost the remarkable development you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce the new hire as the incoming Lead of the team. Following a period of discussions, Ben starts with us on Monday, October 20.
Ben’s management and experience in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having dedicated the past decade and a half producing and managing some of the most recognizable franchises in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.
I invite you all in greeting him next week. We are all eager to keep seeing the development of Project ETHOS in the time to follow.
The President
Experience of the Incoming Leader
The appointee presently serves in the role of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He previously worked at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, prior to that, had periods at other industry leaders.
Game Information and Concept
Project Ethos was unveiled in last year alongside a public demo. At the time, 31st Union described the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling advancement on the style."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch states. "Face the opponents with unique powers, stakes, and obstacles that shift every session. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or aim high, risk it all, and pray your squad can secure victory? The option is yours."
Project Ethos has not yet received an announced release date or supported systems, but players can look forward to more updates as development progresses.
