2K Recruits Popular Battle Royale Producer to Rescue Struggling Hero Shooter Ambitious Title

The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Change Comes After Poor Feedback

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed staff about this strategic move through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a distinct game identity.

Ismailer stated that the team is now refining the project with a revised approach, aiming to better meet player expectations.

Trend of Strategic Hires

The news follows a similar action taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the BioShock development group.

Here is the entire message from the president's communication:

Team—

I know you all just finished your town hall - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and talented developers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to continue.”

Given your hard work and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game playtest was revealing. It validated the appeal of a action-packed game but told us we still had work to do. It highlighted the need for a more distinct identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the feedback to consideration and reimagined the title with a revitalized vision - one that’s ready to deliver on its potential to our fans.

The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the outstanding development you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome the new hire as the new Lead of the team. After some time of talks, he starts with us on next week.

His management and experience in the PVP shooter field is vast, having devoted the recent years creating and leading some of the most recognizable series in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in receiving Ben next week. We are all looking forward to continue observing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to ahead.

The President

Background of the New Head

Brinkman presently serves in the role of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier worked at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, earlier in his career, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 alongside a early access event. At the time, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative evolution on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the official summary states. "Face the opponents with unique powers, risks, and obstacles that change every session. Will you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Alternatively go big, risk it all, and pray your team can achieve the highest spot? The decision is up to you."

The game has not yet received an announced debut schedule or consoles, but players can look forward to more updates as development continues.