The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.
Management Change Comes After Mixed Feedback
The new appointee takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's disappointing unveiling last autumn.
On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer notified employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the need for a distinct vision.
Ismailer noted that the team is now reimagining the project with a revised focus, aiming to better meet player expectations.
A Pattern of Key Acquisitions
The news follows a comparable step taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.
Here is the entire text from the president's memo:
Dear Team—
I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a update, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and creative designers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to persist.”
Given your hard work and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.
The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was enlightening. It confirmed the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the need for a sharper vision.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the feedback to consideration and revamped the title with a renewed goal - one that’s ready to achieve its ambition to our audience.
The trust in this project strengthens every day. To boost the remarkable progress you’ve made, I’m excited to announce the new hire as the incoming Director of 31st Union. Following a period of conversations, he starts with us on Monday, October 20.
Ben’s leadership and experience in the competitive gaming genre is extensive, having dedicated the last 15 years producing and leading some of the most well-known franchises in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.
Let’s together in welcoming Ben next week. We are all excited to keep witnessing the development of the game in the weeks to ahead.
David
Background of the Incoming Leader
The appointee currently holds the role of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Game Details and Vision
The upcoming game was revealed in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative evolution 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 suit your personal playstyle," the official summary states. "Take on the competition with new abilities, challenges, and challenges that evolve every round. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and hope your group can achieve the highest spot? The choice is up to you."
Project Ethos lacks an announced release date or platforms, but fans can look forward to additional details as development advances.
