2K Hires Popular Battle Royale Producer to Rescue Troubled Action Game Project Ethos

The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Comes After Lukewarm Response

The new appointee assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster early showing last fall.

Recently, 2K president David Ismailer updated staff about this decision through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the requirement for a distinct direction.

The president noted that the developers is now refining the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to satisfy community desires.

Trend of Strategic Hires

The news follows a similar step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock development group.

Below is the entire text from Ismailer's memo:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just completed your town hall - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a message, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and creative designers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to continue.”

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

The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was enlightening. It confirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had work to do. It uncovered the requirement for a sharper identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the feedback to mind and revamped the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s poised to fulfill its promise to our audience.

The trust in this project strengthens every day. To advance the incredible progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce the new hire as the incoming Studio Head of the team. Following several months of talks, he starts with us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s guidance and experience in the competitive gaming genre is considerable, having devoted the past decade and a half creating and overseeing some of the most well-known franchises in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in welcoming Ben next week. We are all excited to persist seeing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.

David

Background of the New Leader

Brinkman presently serves in the role of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at major gaming companies in various production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Vision

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 in conjunction with a community playtest. Initially, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the official summary states. "Challenge the competition with unique powers, challenges, and obstacles that evolve every match. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or aim high, risk it all, and hope your group can secure victory? The decision is up to you."

The game has not yet received an announced debut schedule or platforms, but players can anticipate further news as development continues.