The Gaming Giant Brings Onboard Popular Battle Royale Lead to Boost Troubled Hero Shooter Ambitious Title

The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Shift Follows Mixed Response

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

On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer notified team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had revealed the necessity for a more defined game identity.

Ismailer noted that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to address gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

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

Below is the entire text from the president's communication:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just completed your town hall - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a message, I stated the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and talented designers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that partnership to persist.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last fall’s the game testing phase was informative. It confirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the requirement for a clearer brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the feedback to heart and overhauled the title with a renewed goal - one that’s poised to achieve its ambition to our players.

The belief in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To advance the incredible advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Director of 31st Union. Following some time of conversations, he officially joins us on next week.

Ben’s guidance and background in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having devoted the past decade and a half producing and overseeing some of the most recognizable titles in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in welcoming him next week. We are all eager to continue witnessing the development of Project ETHOS in the time to come.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Leader

The appointee presently serves in the position of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 together with a community playtest. Then, 31st Union presented the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling step forward on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary states. "Face the opponents with new abilities, challenges, and tests that shift every match. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and hope your group can achieve the highest spot? The choice is up to you."

The game does not have an announced release date or platforms, but players can anticipate more updates as production progresses.