2K Hires Popular Battle Royale Producer to Rescue Challenged Hero Shooter Ambitious Title

The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Transition Follows Lukewarm Feedback

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming unveiling last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated team members about this strategic move through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a clearer vision.

Ismailer expressed that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

This announcement mirrors a similar step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock development group.

Below is the entire message from the president's memo:

Team—

I know you all just finished your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a note, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and innovative creators we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re eager for that relationship to endure.”

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

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was enlightening. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but made clear we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the requirement for a sharper brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the input to consideration and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s positioned to fulfill its ambition to our fans.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To boost the remarkable progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of the team. After several months of discussions, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming genre is extensive, having dedicated the past decade and a half developing and managing some of the most popular series in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in receiving Ben soon. We are all excited to continue observing the progress of the game in the time to come.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman presently holds the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 alongside a community playtest. Then, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling evolution on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the description states. "Challenge the opponents with new abilities, stakes, and tests that change every match. Do you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Alternatively go big, gamble everything, and trust your group can achieve the highest spot? The choice is yours."

Project Ethos does not have an announced debut schedule or consoles, but enthusiasts can look forward to additional details as production continues.