2K Games has appointed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Change Comes After Mixed Response
Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing early showing last fall.
Recently, 2K president a key figure updated team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had indicated the requirement for a clearer direction.
Ismailer expressed that the developers is now overhauling the project with a revised vision, aiming to satisfy player expectations.
A Pattern of Strategic Hires
This announcement mirrors a comparable step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock development group.
Below is the full text from the president's announcement:
Hello Everyone—
I understand you all just completed your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a update, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and talented designers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to continue.”
Through your commitment and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you repeatedly show that.
The player input from last fall’s the game demo was enlightening. It validated the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the necessity for a sharper brand.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the input to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a revitalized direction - one that’s poised to deliver on its ambition to our audience.
Our confidence in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To further the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce the new hire as the incoming Director of the team. After a period of conversations, Ben starts with us on the specified date.
Ben’s guidance and expertise in the competitive gaming field is extensive, having spent the recent years creating and overseeing some of the most recognizable series in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.
Let’s together in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all excited to continue witnessing the development of the game in the months to follow.
David
Experience of the Incoming Head
The appointee presently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Details and Vision
The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 alongside a early access event. At the time, 31st Union described the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting advancement 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 match your preferred approach," the official summary states. "Challenge the opponents with new abilities, risks, and challenges that shift every round. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and pray your squad can achieve the highest spot? The decision is yours."
The game does not have an confirmed release date or supported systems, but fans can expect further news as production continues.