2K Recruits Popular Battle Royale Producer to Boost Troubled Hero Shooter Project Ethos

The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Shift Comes After Poor Feedback

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure informed team members about this organizational change through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had indicated the requirement for a more defined game identity.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now refining the project with a refreshed focus, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

Trend of Key Recruitment

This announcement follows a similar step taken by the publisher in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the full text from Ismailer's announcement:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and talented creators we have had the chance to work with - and we’re excited for that partnership to endure.”

With your dedication and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game demo was enlightening. It confirmed the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It revealed the necessity for a sharper identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the criticism to consideration and revamped Project ETHOS with a refreshed direction - one that’s positioned to deliver on its ambition to our fans.

The belief in this project grows every day. To boost the remarkable progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce the new hire as the latest Director of 31st Union. After some time of discussions, Ben comes aboard us on next week.

Ben’s management and experience in the competitive gaming space is extensive, having devoted the recent years creating and managing some of the most well-known franchises in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in greeting him soon. We are all eager to keep witnessing the progress of the game in the months to ahead.

David

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman presently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in last year in conjunction with a early access event. At the time, 31st Union described the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling step forward on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the description states. "Challenge the competition with unique powers, risks, and obstacles that shift every session. Will you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Or go big, gamble everything, and pray your group can secure victory? The option is in your hands."

The game does not have an confirmed debut schedule or consoles, but fans can look forward to additional details as development advances.

Isaac Green
Isaac Green

A tech journalist and digital strategist with over a decade of experience covering emerging technologies and their impact on business and society.