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2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the forthcoming third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Transition Follows Lukewarm Reception

The new appointee takes on 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 lackluster unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure informed staff about this organizational change through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had indicated the need for a distinct vision.

The president noted that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to better meet community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

This announcement follows a comparable action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise development group.

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

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and creative developers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to continue.”

Through your commitment and versatility, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It affirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had work to do. It highlighted the necessity for a more distinct vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the criticism to mind and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s positioned to achieve its ambition to our players.

The belief in this project strengthens every day. To advance the outstanding progress you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce the new hire as the incoming Director of 31st Union. Following several months of talks, he officially joins us on next week.

Ben’s management and background in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having dedicated the recent years developing and overseeing some of the most popular series in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in receiving Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to keep witnessing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the weeks to come.

The President

Experience of the New Leader

Brinkman presently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Concept

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 together with a community playtest. At the time, the developers described the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling advancement on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch states. "Take on the competition with new abilities, challenges, and challenges that shift every match. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, put it on the line, and hope your group can earn top ranking? The decision is up to you."

Project Ethos does not have an official release date or supported systems, but enthusiasts can anticipate further news as production progresses.