The Gaming Giant Hires Apex Legends Lead to Boost Challenged Hero Shooter Ambitious Title

The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Shift Follows Lukewarm Reception

Brinkman steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last autumn.

Recently, 2K president a key figure informed team members about this strategic move through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had revealed the need for a distinct direction.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to satisfy community desires.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

The news follows a comparable move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the full text from Ismailer's communication:

Dear Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Previously I shared you all a message, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and innovative creators we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to continue.”

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

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It confirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but indicated we still had work to do. It uncovered the requirement for a sharper brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the input to heart and reimagined the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s positioned to achieve its potential to our fans.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To advance the outstanding development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the new Director of 31st Union. After some time of talks, Ben comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

His management and experience in the competitive gaming field is considerable, having devoted the recent years producing and overseeing some of the most popular series in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in receiving Ben next week. We are all looking forward to continue witnessing the progress of the game in the time to follow.

David

Experience of the New Head

The appointee currently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 together with a public demo. At the time, the developers portrayed the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward on the genre."

"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 game's pitch reads. "Face the opponents with unique powers, risks, and obstacles that shift every round. Will you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Alternatively aim high, put it on the line, and hope your group can achieve the highest spot? The choice is yours."

The game does not have an announced launch window or consoles, but fans can anticipate further news as creation continues.