2K Hires Popular Battle Royale Producer to Revitalize Challenged Action Game Ambitious Title

2K Games has welcomed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Transition Follows Lukewarm Feedback

Brinkman assumes the role of studio head at the development studio following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming early showing last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had indicated the requirement for a more defined game identity.

Ismailer noted that the team is now overhauling the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Hires

This announcement follows a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the complete text from the president's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just completed your town hall - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Previously I shared you all a update, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and creative developers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that partnership to endure.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It confirmed the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the need for a sharper brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the feedback to heart and overhauled the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s poised to achieve its promise to our audience.

The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To further the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of the team. After several months of talks, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His guidance and expertise in the competitive gaming field is vast, having devoted the past decade and a half creating and overseeing some of the most well-known franchises in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in greeting him in the coming days. We are all looking forward to continue observing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to ahead.

David

Experience of the New Leader

Brinkman presently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously worked at major gaming companies in various production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 together with a early access event. Initially, 31st Union described the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting advancement on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the description explains. "Challenge the opponents with fresh skills, stakes, and tests that shift every round. Do you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Or go big, risk it all, and hope your team can achieve the highest spot? The choice is yours."

The game lacks an confirmed release date or consoles, but fans can anticipate further news as creation advances.