2K Games has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Leadership Change Follows Lukewarm Response
The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster early showing last autumn.
On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure notified employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had indicated the need for a more defined game identity.
The president noted that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.
A Pattern of Key Hires
This announcement mirrors a similar move taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the complete message from Ismailer's announcement:
Dear Team—
I understand you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a update, 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 opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to persist.”
With your dedication and versatility, especially over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.
The gamer responses from last autumn’s the game playtest was informative. It confirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It highlighted the requirement for a clearer vision.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the criticism to mind and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s poised to achieve its potential to our fans.
The trust in this project increases every day. To boost the remarkable development you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Studio Head of 31st Union. Following several months of talks, he officially joins us on next week.
Ben’s management and expertise in the PVP shooter space is vast, having dedicated the last 15 years producing and managing some of the most popular franchises in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, Apex Legends.
I invite you all in greeting him in the coming days. We are all looking forward to persist witnessing the progress of the game in the months to ahead.
David
Experience of the New Leader
Brinkman presently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had periods at other industry leaders.
Title Information and Vision
Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 alongside a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union described the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting advancement on the category."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the description explains. "Take on the opponents with new abilities, stakes, and challenges that evolve every match. Do you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Or go big, gamble everything, and pray your group can secure victory? The choice is up to you."
Project Ethos does not have an official launch window or platforms, but players can anticipate further news as production progresses.
