2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently working on the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Shift Comes After Poor Response
Brinkman steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's disappointing initial reveal last fall.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the need for a more defined vision.
The president noted that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a renewed approach, aiming to address player expectations.
Trend of Strategic Recruitment
This announcement follows a comparable step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise development group.
Below is the entire content from the president's announcement:
Dear Team—
I understand you all just completed your meeting - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a message, I expressed the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and talented developers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to continue.”
With your dedication and adaptability, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.
The player input from last autumn’s the game demo was enlightening. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the requirement for a more distinct brand.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the feedback to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a revitalized goal - one that’s poised to achieve its ambition to our audience.
The trust in this project increases every day. To advance the incredible advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce the new hire as the new Studio Head of the team. Following several months of talks, he officially joins us on next week.
His guidance and expertise in the competitive gaming space is vast, having dedicated the last 15 years creating and managing some of the most popular series in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.
I invite you all in greeting him next week. We are all excited to continue observing the development of Project ETHOS in the weeks to come.
The President
Experience of the New Head
The appointee presently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman previously worked at major gaming companies in various production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.
Game Details and Vision
The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a early access event. Then, the developers described the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling evolution on the category."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the description reads. "Challenge the competition with fresh skills, stakes, and obstacles that shift every session. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, gamble everything, and trust your squad can achieve the highest spot? The option is up to you."
Project Ethos has not yet received an official release date or platforms, but players can look forward to further news as development continues.
