2K Hires Popular Battle Royale Developer to Boost Struggling Action Game Ambitious Title

2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Change 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 the game's underwhelming unveiling last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated staff about this strategic move through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had indicated the requirement for a clearer vision.

The president expressed that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to better meet community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

The news follows a similar move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the full message from the president's memo:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a note, I stated the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative developers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to continue.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s the game playtest was enlightening. It validated the appeal of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the necessity for a clearer brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the input to mind and overhauled Project ETHOS with a revitalized goal - one that’s poised to achieve its ambition to our players.

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To advance the remarkable development you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. Following a period of discussions, Ben starts with us on the specified date.

His leadership and experience in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having spent the last 15 years creating and managing some of the most well-known series in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in welcoming Ben next week. We are all eager to keep seeing the development of Project ETHOS in the time to ahead.

David

Experience of the New Leader

The appointee currently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, prior to that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was revealed in last year together with a early access event. Then, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling advancement on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the official summary reads. "Challenge the competition with unique powers, stakes, and challenges that evolve every session. Will you leave securely with your collected items? Or take a risk, risk it all, and trust your group can secure victory? The decision is in your hands."

Project Ethos lacks an confirmed release date or platforms, but players can anticipate more updates as development continues.