🔗 Share this article

2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Shift Follows Poor Reception

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified team members about this strategic move through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had shown the requirement for a clearer game identity.

The president noted that the developers is now overhauling the project with a renewed vision, aiming to better meet community desires.

A Pattern of Key Acquisitions

The news follows a comparable action taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the complete message from the president's announcement:

Team—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative designers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re excited for that relationship to continue.”

Given your hard work and versatility, particularly over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It validated the promise of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the requirement for a more distinct brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the feedback to consideration and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s ready to achieve its ambition to our players.

The belief in Project ETHOS increases every day. To further the remarkable development you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce the new hire as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. After some time of discussions, he officially joins us on the specified date.

His leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming field is considerable, having dedicated the last 15 years developing and overseeing some of the most well-known series in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and lately, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in greeting him soon. We are all looking forward to keep observing the development of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.

The President

Experience of the New Leader

The appointee currently holds the position of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Concept

Project Ethos was revealed in last year in conjunction with a early access event. Then, the developers described the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the description explains. "Take on the rivals with new abilities, challenges, and tests that evolve every session. Will you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, risk it all, and pray your group can earn top ranking? The choice is up to you."

Project Ethos lacks an official debut schedule or platforms, but enthusiasts can look forward to additional details as creation advances.