The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.
Management Shift Comes After Lukewarm Feedback
Brinkman steps into 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 underwhelming early showing last autumn.
On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer informed staff about this organizational change through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had revealed the necessity for a clearer vision.
Ismailer expressed that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a refreshed focus, aiming to better meet community desires.
A Pattern of Strategic Hires
This announcement echoes a similar move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.
Below is the full message from the president's communication:
Team—
I understand you all just wrapped up your gathering - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a update, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative developers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to persist.”
With your dedication and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.
The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It confirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but indicated we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the necessity for a clearer identity.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the criticism to mind and reimagined the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s poised to fulfill its ambition to our fans.
Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To further the remarkable progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome the new hire as the latest Lead of 31st Union. Following a period of conversations, Ben starts with us on next week.
Ben’s management and expertise in the PVP shooter space is extensive, having devoted the past decade and a half creating and managing some of the most popular titles in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.
Please join me in receiving him in the coming days. We are all excited to persist observing the development of the game in the months to ahead.
David
Experience of the New Leader
Brinkman presently holds the position of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had assignments at other industry leaders.
Game Details and Concept
Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 alongside a early access event. At the time, the developers presented the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting advancement on the genre."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the official summary states. "Take on the competition with fresh skills, challenges, and obstacles that evolve every session. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively go big, put it on the line, and hope your group can secure victory? The decision is yours."
Project Ethos does not have an official release date or supported systems, but players can look forward to further news as creation continues.
