🔗 Share this article

The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Shift Comes After Poor Feedback

Brinkman steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer updated team members about this organizational change through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had revealed the need for a distinct game identity.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now refining the project with a renewed vision, aiming to better meet community desires.

Trend of Key Recruitment

The news follows a comparable move taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the full message from the president's announcement:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a update, I expressed the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and talented developers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that relationship to endure.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The player input from last autumn’s the game demo was revealing. It affirmed the promise of a action-packed game but told us we still had refinements needed. It revealed the necessity for a sharper brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the criticism to mind and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s poised to fulfill its promise to our audience.

The belief in Project ETHOS increases every day. To further the outstanding development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome the new hire as the new Studio Head of 31st Union. After some time of discussions, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His leadership and background in the competitive gaming genre is extensive, having devoted the recent years producing and managing some of the most popular titles in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

Please join me in greeting Ben soon. We are all excited to persist witnessing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to follow.

The President

Background of the New Head

Brinkman currently serves in the position of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. Initially, the developers presented the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting step forward on the category."

"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 official summary reads. "Challenge the opponents with new abilities, risks, and challenges that evolve every session. Will you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Or aim high, gamble everything, and hope your team can secure victory? The choice is in your hands."

The game has not yet received an announced launch window or supported systems, but players can look forward to additional details as production advances.