The Gaming Giant Brings Onboard Popular Battle Royale Producer to Rescue Challenged Hero Shooter Project Ethos

2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Management Transition Follows Lukewarm Reception

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster unveiling last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had indicated the need for a distinct direction.

The president expressed that the developers is now reimagining the project with a renewed vision, aiming to address community desires.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

The news mirrors a comparable step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire text from the president's announcement:

Team—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a update, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most driven and talented developers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to endure.”

Given your hard work and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game playtest was informative. It validated the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It highlighted the requirement for a more distinct brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the criticism to consideration and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s positioned to achieve its potential to our players.

The belief in this project grows every day. To further the outstanding advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce the new hire as the latest Lead of the team. After several months of talks, he starts with us on the specified date.

Ben’s management and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having devoted the last 15 years producing and leading some of the most recognizable franchises in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in greeting him next week. We are all excited to continue observing the progress of Project ETHOS in the months to come.

David

Experience of the Incoming Leader

The appointee presently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Concept

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 alongside a community playtest. Then, the developers described the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative 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 fit your unique tactics," the official summary states. "Challenge the competition with unique powers, risks, and obstacles that evolve every session. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and pray your squad can achieve the highest spot? The decision is up to you."

The game does not have an official debut schedule or platforms, but players can look forward to additional details as creation progresses.