The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Leadership Shift Comes After Lukewarm Reception
Brinkman assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming early showing last autumn.
Recently, 2K president David Ismailer notified employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had indicated the necessity for a more defined direction.
The president noted that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a refreshed vision, aiming to address player expectations.
A Pattern of Key Acquisitions
This announcement mirrors a similar step taken by the publisher in August, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the entire text from the president's announcement:
Hello Everyone—
I understand you all just finished your town hall - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and talented developers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that relationship to endure.”
With your dedication and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.
The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It affirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had work to do. It uncovered the need for a sharper identity.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the feedback to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s positioned to achieve its ambition to our fans.
The trust in this project strengthens every day. To further the incredible progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the latest Director of the team. Following a period of talks, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.
Ben’s management and background in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having spent the past decade and a half producing and leading some of the most well-known franchises in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.
Let’s together in greeting him next week. We are all excited to keep seeing the progress of Project ETHOS in the time to come.
David
Background of the Incoming Leader
Brinkman presently holds the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had stints at other industry leaders.
Game Information and Vision
Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. Then, the developers presented the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward on the category."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch states. "Challenge the opponents with fresh skills, challenges, and tests that evolve every match. Will you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and pray your squad can secure victory? The option is yours."
Project Ethos does not have an official launch window or consoles, but enthusiasts can expect more updates as creation continues.
