The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Transition Comes After Poor Feedback
The new appointee steps into the role of studio head at the development studio following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster unveiling last autumn.
On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer informed staff about this decision through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had indicated the requirement for a more defined vision.
Ismailer noted that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.
A Pattern of Key Recruitment
This announcement follows a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Below is the complete message from Ismailer's announcement:
Hello Everyone—
I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a message, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative creators we have had the chance to work with - and we’re eager for that relationship to endure.”
Through your commitment and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.
The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It validated the promise of a action-packed game but made clear we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the requirement for a sharper vision.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the input to mind and overhauled Project ETHOS with a refreshed vision - one that’s poised to achieve its potential to our fans.
Our confidence in this project grows every day. To further the remarkable development you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome the new hire as the new Studio Head of 31st Union. Following some time of discussions, he starts with us on the specified date.
Ben’s leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having spent the recent years producing and overseeing some of the most popular series in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.
Let’s together in receiving Ben soon. We are all eager to persist observing the development of Project ETHOS in the time to follow.
David
Experience of the New Leader
The appointee presently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Details and Vision
The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 together with a public demo. Then, the developers portrayed the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling advancement on the genre."
"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. "Take on the opponents with new abilities, challenges, and obstacles that change every session. Do you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and trust your team can earn top ranking? The option is in your hands."
The game does not have an announced debut schedule or consoles, but players can expect further news as creation continues.
