2K Recruits Popular Battle Royale Producer to Rescue Troubled Action Game Project Ethos

2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Transition Follows Mixed Response

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster early showing last autumn.

Recently, 2K president a key figure updated staff about this decision through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had revealed the need for a clearer game identity.

Ismailer expressed that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a revised approach, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

Trend of Key Recruitment

The news echoes a comparable move taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.

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

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and talented creators we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to continue.”

Given your hard work and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was revealing. It confirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the need for a more distinct vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the input to mind and overhauled the title with a renewed direction - one that’s positioned to fulfill its promise to our fans.

The trust in this project strengthens every day. To advance the outstanding development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce the new hire as the new Director of the team. Following several months of conversations, Ben comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

His management and background in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having devoted the recent years creating and leading some of the most popular franchises in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in receiving him next week. We are all excited to keep observing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the months to follow.

The President

Background of the New Head

The appointee currently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 together with a public demo. Initially, 31st Union presented the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting advancement on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the official summary explains. "Challenge the opponents with new abilities, stakes, and tests that evolve every round. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Or take a risk, risk it all, and pray your group can earn top ranking? The choice is yours."

Project Ethos does not have an announced launch window or consoles, but enthusiasts can look forward to additional details as production progresses.