2K Games has secured a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.
Management Transition Follows Mixed Response
Brinkman assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last fall.
On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer notified staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had revealed the necessity for a more defined vision.
The president noted that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a renewed vision, aiming to address community desires.
A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions
The news mirrors a similar step taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the full text from the president's communication:
Hello Everyone—
I know you all just completed your meeting - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and talented creators we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to persist.”
Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you repeatedly show that.
The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was enlightening. It confirmed the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had work to do. It uncovered the need for a sharper brand.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You took the criticism to mind and revamped the title with a renewed goal - one that’s ready to fulfill its promise to our players.
The trust in Project ETHOS grows every day. To advance the remarkable progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce the new hire as the new Studio Head of the team. After a period of talks, Ben comes aboard us on the specified date.
His management and experience in the competitive gaming space is vast, having devoted the recent years creating and overseeing some of the most popular titles in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.
Please join me in greeting him soon. We are all looking forward to keep seeing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the weeks to ahead.
David
Experience of the Incoming Leader
Brinkman presently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier was employed at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Information and Concept
The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 together with a community playtest. Then, the developers presented the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative step forward 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 game's pitch explains. "Take on the opponents with new abilities, stakes, and challenges that shift every round. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively aim high, gamble everything, and trust your team can secure victory? The decision is yours."
The game does not have an official debut schedule or consoles, but players can anticipate further news as production continues.
