🔗 Share this article

The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Change Comes After Poor Feedback

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure informed staff about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the need for a clearer game identity.

The president noted that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a refreshed vision, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Acquisitions

This announcement follows a similar action taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the BioShock development group.

Here is the complete text from Ismailer's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just completed your gathering - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and creative developers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to persist.”

With your dedication and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was enlightening. It validated the promise of a action-packed game but made clear we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the need for a clearer identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You took the input to consideration and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s poised to fulfill its promise to our fans.

The belief in this project increases every day. To further the incredible advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of 31st Union. After a period of conversations, he starts with us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s management and expertise in the PVP shooter field is extensive, having spent the last 15 years producing and overseeing some of the most well-known franchises in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

Please join me in receiving him soon. We are all eager to keep seeing the progress of the game in the months to ahead.

David

Background of the New Leader

The appointee currently holds the position of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in last year alongside a early access event. Then, the developers presented the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling step forward on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch states. "Face the opponents with new abilities, challenges, and challenges that evolve every session. Do you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Alternatively go big, gamble everything, and pray your squad can earn top ranking? The choice is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an official launch window or consoles, but fans can look forward to additional details as production progresses.