2K has reaffirmed its unwavering support for the 3rd-person action roguelike shooter, Project Ethos. In a significant move, the publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman, formerly the executive producer for Apex Legends, as the new studio head for developer 31st Union.
This announcement was made to employees today during a town hall meeting, followed by an internal memo that 2K shared with IGN. The memo, penned by 2K president David Ismailer, confirmed that Ben Brinkman will officially take over his new role at 31st Union on Monday, October 20. His primary mandate will be to guide Project Ethos’s development as the game undergoes a comprehensive “reimagining” with a “renewed vision.” This fresh direction comes after 2024 playtests highlighted the crucial need for the game to cultivate “a more distinct identity” to truly stand out.
Here’s a look at what the internal memo communicated:
The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was enlightening. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It uncovered the need for a more distinct identity.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You took the feedback to heart and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed vision – one that’s poised to deliver on its promise to our players
Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To further the incredible progress you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Studio Head of 31st Union. After several months of conversations, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.
Brinkman brings a wealth of experience to 31st Union, joining directly from EA where he served as executive producer on Apex Legends since 2020. Before that, he spent six years contributing to Call of Duty titles at Treyarch. IGN has reached out to EA for comment regarding the implications of Brinkman’s departure for Apex Legends and to inquire about his successor.
Project Ethos was initially announced in October of last year as a free-to-play, third-person, hero extraction shooter that incorporates roguelike elements. The game is being developed by 31st Union, a studio founded in 2019 by Michael Condrey, a former co-founder of Sledgehammer Games, and originally known as 2K Silicon Valley. Early hands-on impressions of Project Ethos, including reports from IGN at the time, were generally positive but concluded that the game “fails at being a new experience that players will crave over and over again.” Other outlets shared similar feedback, noting that while the game was fun, it didn’t offer enough innovation to differentiate itself in an increasingly crowded genre.
Since that initial lukewarm reception, 31st Union has remained largely quiet about Project Ethos. In February of this year, reports emerged that Condrey was dismissed by 2K Games, reportedly due to the unenthusiastic feedback the game received. At the time, 2K had assured its employees that it would continue to support the project despite the leadership change.
This latest news serves as a strong indicator that 2K is indeed committed to its promise of supporting Project Ethos. This dedication comes amidst broader industry concerns about audience fatigue with online multiplayer shooters, particularly within the extraction genre. However, given the nature of this significant restructuring and renewed vision, it’s likely that players will need to wait a while before receiving further substantial updates on the game’s progress.