2K Games has poached Apex Legends producer Ben Brinkman from Respawn to head up the team at 31st Union, which is developing 2K’s upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter, Project Ethos.
Brinkman takes over as studio head at 31st Union after its previous leader, ex-Sledgehammer Games studio head Michael Condrey, was reportedly dismissed in reaction to Project Ethos‘ poor reception. Project Ethos was revealed last fall to a lukewarm response and received little coverage.
On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer sent a note to employees announcing the change this morning, and the publisher later shared that note with Polygon. Ismailer noted that Project Ethos’ playtesting “uncovered the need for a more distinct identity” and that the team was reimagining Project Ethos “with a renewed vision.”
Ismailer’s announcement follows a similar move from 2K Games in August, when the publisher snapped up Diablo producer Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work at BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
The memo can be read in its entirety below:
Team—
I know you all just wrapped up your town hall – I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a note, I shared the following statement: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most driven and creative developers we have had the chance to partner with – and we’re excited for that partnership to continue.”
With your dedication and flexibility, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.
The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was enlightening. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It uncovered the need for a more distinct identity.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You took the feedback to heart and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed vision – one that’s poised to deliver on its promise to our players
Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To further the incredible progress you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Studio Head of 31st Union. After several months of conversations, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.
Ben’s leadership and experience in the PVP shooter space is extensive, having spent the last 15 years developing and leading some of the most recognizable franchises in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.
Please join me in welcoming Ben next week. We are all excited to continue to see the evolution of Project ETHOS in the months to come.
David
Brinkman is currently an executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the Call of Duty franchise, and, before that, did stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 alongside a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union described the game as a “free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the genre.”
“Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle,” the game’s website reads. “Take on the competition with new abilities, stakes, and challenges that change every match. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, risk it all, and hope your team can earn top ranking? The choice is yours.”
Project Ethos does not have an announced release date or platforms, but you can see an early peek at gameplay in the video below.
