2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming unveiling last fall.
On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure updated employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the requirement for a clearer direction.
Ismailer expressed that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to satisfy community desires.
This announcement mirrors a comparable move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock development group.
Below is the entire content from the president's memo:
Dear Team—
I understand you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a update, I stated the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative creators we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that relationship to continue.”
Through your commitment and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.
The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It confirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had work to do. It uncovered the need for a sharper identity.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the criticism to consideration and overhauled the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s positioned to deliver on its ambition to our players.
The belief in Project ETHOS grows every day. To further the incredible progress you’ve made, I’m excited to announce Ben Brinkman as the new Director of the team. After several months of talks, Ben starts with us on Monday, October 20.
His management and expertise in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having devoted the recent years creating and overseeing some of the most well-known series in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.
I invite you all in receiving him in the coming days. We are all eager to continue witnessing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to come.
The President
Brinkman presently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had periods at other industry leaders.
Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 alongside a early access event. Then, 31st Union described the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting advancement on the category."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the description explains. "Challenge the rivals with new abilities, risks, and obstacles that change every session. Will you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, gamble everything, and trust your group can achieve the highest spot? The choice is yours."
Project Ethos does not have an confirmed release date or supported systems, but fans can anticipate additional details as production continues.
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