🔗 Share this article

2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Transition Comes After Mixed Feedback

The new appointee assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster initial reveal last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure informed team members about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had revealed the need for a more defined direction.

Ismailer stated that the team is now overhauling the project with a revised approach, aiming to address community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

The news follows a comparable step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise development group.

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

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a message, I stated the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and talented designers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to persist.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s the game playtest was revealing. It validated the appeal of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the need for a sharper identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the criticism to heart and reimagined the title with a renewed goal - one that’s ready to fulfill its potential to our fans.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS increases every day. To further the remarkable progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce the new hire as the incoming Lead of the team. Following a period of talks, Ben comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

His management and background in the competitive gaming space is considerable, having spent the last 15 years developing and overseeing some of the most well-known franchises in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in receiving Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to persist seeing the progress of the game in the time to follow.

David

Background of the New Head

Brinkman presently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 together with a community playtest. Then, 31st Union presented the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative step forward on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch states. "Take on the competition with new abilities, stakes, and obstacles that change every round. Will you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Or go big, put it on the line, and pray your squad can earn top ranking? The choice is yours."

The game lacks an announced release date or consoles, but enthusiasts can look forward to additional details as development continues.