2K Games has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Leadership Change Comes After Mixed Feedback
Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last fall.
Recently, the company's top executive a key figure notified team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had revealed the need for a more defined direction.
Ismailer expressed that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to better meet player expectations.
A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment
This announcement mirrors a comparable move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Below is the complete content from the president's announcement:
Dear Team—
I know you all just wrapped up your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and talented designers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to persist.”
Through your commitment and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.
The community feedback from last fall’s the game playtest was revealing. It confirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It revealed the requirement for a clearer vision.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the feedback to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s positioned to achieve its ambition to our fans.
Our confidence in this project increases every day. To boost the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Lead of the team. After a period of talks, Ben comes aboard us on the specified date.
His management and experience in the PVP shooter space is vast, having devoted the recent years developing and overseeing some of the most well-known series in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.
Please join me in welcoming him in the coming days. We are all eager to continue observing the progress of the game in the time to come.
The President
Experience of the New Leader
The appointee presently holds the position of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman previously worked at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had assignments at other industry leaders.
Title Details and Concept
The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 in conjunction with a community playtest. Then, 31st Union presented the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting step forward on the genre."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the official summary states. "Face the rivals with fresh skills, stakes, and obstacles that evolve every round. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and hope your squad can earn top ranking? The decision is yours."
The game lacks an official release date or supported systems, but enthusiasts can anticipate more updates as production continues.
