2K Games has welcomed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Transition Comes After Mixed Reception
The new appointee steps into 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 initial reveal last autumn.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the necessity for a more defined vision.
The president expressed that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a refreshed vision, aiming to better meet community desires.
A Pattern of Key Recruitment
The news follows a similar move taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock development group.
Here is the complete message from the president's memo:
Hello Everyone—
I understand you all just completed your gathering - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Previously I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and talented developers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to persist.”
Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.
The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It validated the appeal of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the necessity for a more distinct vision.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the feedback to heart and revamped the title with a renewed vision - one that’s poised to achieve its potential to our audience.
The trust in this project strengthens every day. To boost the remarkable progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. Following some time of talks, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.
Ben’s leadership and background in the competitive gaming field is considerable, having devoted the last 15 years producing and overseeing some of the most popular franchises in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.
Please join me in welcoming him soon. We are all eager to continue seeing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the weeks to come.
The President
Experience of the Incoming Head
The appointee currently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at major gaming companies in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.
Title Details and Vision
The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 alongside a early access event. At the time, the developers portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative step forward 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 suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch reads. "Take on the rivals with new abilities, stakes, and challenges that evolve every round. Will you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively go big, gamble everything, and pray your squad can secure victory? The choice is yours."
The game lacks an announced release date or supported systems, but enthusiasts can look forward to further news as production advances.
