2K Hires Popular Battle Royale Producer to Boost Troubled Action Game Ambitious Title

2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Comes After Mixed Response

The new appointee steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed team members about this decision through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the requirement for a more defined direction.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

This announcement mirrors a similar step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the complete content from Ismailer's announcement:

Team—

I understand you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a message, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative designers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re excited for that partnership to continue.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was informative. It validated the promise of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had refinements needed. It revealed the requirement for a sharper vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You took the input to heart and reimagined the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s ready to achieve its promise to our audience.

The belief in this project grows every day. To further the outstanding progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. Following a period of conversations, he comes aboard us on next week.

Ben’s guidance and expertise in the competitive gaming field is considerable, having devoted the last 15 years creating and overseeing some of the most well-known series in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in welcoming Ben next week. We are all excited to continue seeing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to come.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman currently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Concept

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 together with a early access event. Initially, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting step forward 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 official summary states. "Face the opponents with unique powers, risks, and tests that shift every match. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively aim high, put it on the line, and hope your team can secure victory? The choice is yours."

Project Ethos has not yet received an official debut schedule or consoles, but fans can look forward to additional details as development continues.