2K Confirms Support for Project Ethos, Appoints Apex Legends Executive Producer as Head of 31st Union

2K has confirmed its support for 3rd-person action roguelike shooter Project Ethos, naming the former executive producer of Apex Legends as the new head of developer 31st Union’s studio.

This news was shared with staff today at City Hall followed by an internal announcement, the latter of which 2K shared with IGN. The memo, written by 2K president David Ismailer, states that Ben Brinkman will take over as studio head at 31st Union effective Monday, October 20. Brinkman will oversee development of Project Ethos as the game is “re-imagined” with a “renewed vision” after the game’s 2024 playtest revealed “the need for a more distinct identity”.

Here is an excerpt from the note:

Community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was enlightening. It confirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter, but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the need for a more distinct personality.

It’s been great to see how far you’ve come. You’ve taken feedback to heart and reimagined the ETHOS project with a renewed vision – one that’s ready to deliver on its promise to our players.

Our confidence in the ETHOS Project grows every day. To further the incredible progress you’ve made, I’m pleased to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new head of studio at 31st Union. After several months of discussions, Ben officially joined us on Monday, October 20th.

Brinkman joins 31st Union directly from EA, where he worked as an executive producer on Apex Legends since 2020, after six years on Treyarch’s Call of Duty. IGN reached out to EA to comment on what this means for Apex Legends and who will be taking on Brinkman’s first role.

Project Ethos was first announced last October as a free-to-play third-person, take-out-hero shooter with some roguelike elements. It is being developed by 31st Union, a studio founded in 2019 by former Sledgehammer Games founder Michael Condrey and originally called 2K Silicon Valley. We envisioned Project Ethos thenand that he liked it well, but said that it “fails to have a new experience that players want over and over again.” Other outlets shared a similar opinion, saying the game was fun enough but didn’t do anything significant to stand out in a crowded genre.

31st Union has been quiet on the Project Ethos front since then, but in February of this year, Kotaku reported 2K Games reportedly fired Condrey due to the game’s lukewarm reception. At the time, 2K assured employees that it would continue to support the project.

This news indicates that 2K is indeed making good on its promise to continue supporting Project Ethos, even amid ongoing concerns about the audience for online multiplayer shooters – especially extraction shooters. it is worn out. But it may take some time for you to consider the wording of the email before you receive another update.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter at IGN. You can find her post on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.