The Gaming Giant Hires Apex Legends Developer to Rescue Troubled Hero Shooter Ambitious Title

The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Shift Follows Poor Response

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster early showing last autumn.

Recently, 2K president David Ismailer informed employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a clearer vision.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a refreshed vision, aiming to address gamer demands.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

The news follows a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the full text from the president's communication:

Dear Team—

I know you all just completed your town hall - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a message, I stated the following: “I am confident 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 continue.”

With your dedication and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s the game testing phase was informative. It confirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but told us we still had refinements needed. It revealed the need for a sharper vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the feedback to heart and overhauled Project ETHOS with a revitalized direction - one that’s ready to deliver on its promise to our fans.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To further the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce the new hire as the incoming Studio Head of the team. Following a period of talks, Ben comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s guidance and expertise in the PVP shooter space is extensive, having devoted the last 15 years producing and leading some of the most well-known titles in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to keep witnessing the development of the game in the weeks to come.

The President

Background of the New Head

The appointee presently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in last year together with a community playtest. Then, the developers presented the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting evolution on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the official summary states. "Face the rivals with new abilities, challenges, and challenges that change every match. Will you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and pray your group can earn top ranking? The choice is up to you."

Project Ethos lacks an confirmed debut schedule or consoles, but players can look forward to additional details as production advances.