🔗 Share this article

2K Games has welcomed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the forthcoming third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Shift Follows Mixed Response

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing unveiling last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure informed employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a more defined direction.

The president expressed that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a refreshed vision, aiming to address gamer demands.

Trend of Strategic Recruitment

The news follows a similar action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the full text from the president's memo:

Dear Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your gathering - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a note, I stated the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative designers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to persist.”

With your dedication and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last autumn’s the game playtest was informative. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had work to do. It highlighted the need for a sharper identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the input to heart and reimagined the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s poised to fulfill its ambition to our fans.

The belief in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To further the outstanding progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce the new hire as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. Following some time of discussions, he officially joins us on the specified date.

Ben’s management and expertise in the competitive gaming space is vast, having devoted the past decade and a half creating and managing some of the most popular series in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to persist seeing the development of the game in the time to follow.

The President

Background of the Incoming Leader

The appointee currently holds the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in last year together with a public demo. Then, 31st Union presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling advancement on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch reads. "Take on the competition with new abilities, risks, and challenges that shift every session. Will you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Or go big, risk it all, and trust your squad can achieve the highest spot? The decision is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an official release date or consoles, but players can expect further news as development continues.