2K reiterates support for project spirit, names Apex Legends executive producer as head of 31st Union

2K has reiterated its support for 3-person action roguelike shooter Project Ethos and named the former “Apex Legends” executive producer as the new studio head of developer 31st Union.

The news was shared with employees during a town hall today, followed by the release of an internal memo, which 2K shared with IGN. The memo, written by 2K president David Ismailer, states that Ben Brinkman will take over as head of 31st Union Studios starting Monday, October 20. Brinkman will oversee the development of Project Ethos, as the game will be “reimagined with a new vision” after the game's 2024 playtests revealed the need for a “more unique identity.”

The following is an excerpt from the memo:

Community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was enlightening. It affirms the promise of roguelike shooters, but also tells us there's still a lot of work to be done. It reveals the need for a more unique identity.

It’s so inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You listened carefully to the feedback and reimagined the ETHOS project with a new vision – ready to deliver on the promise to players

Our confidence in the ETHOS project is growing day by day. To further the incredible progress you've made, I'm pleased to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new studio head of 31st Union. After several months of conversations, Ben officially joined us on Monday, October 20th.

Brinkman joins 31st Union directly from EA, where he has been an executive producer on Apex Legends since 2020, following six years at Treyarch on Call of Duty. IGN has reached out to EA for comment on what this means for Apex Legends and who will take over Brinkman's former role.

First released last October, Project Ethos is a free-to-play third-person hero-draw shooter with some roguelike elements. It is developed by 31st Union, a studio founded in 2019 by former Sledgehammer Games co-founder Michael Condrey and originally known as 2K Silicon Valley. We previewed Project Ethos at the timeand liked it, but said it “failed to be the new experience players crave again and again.” Other outlets shared similar feedback, saying the game was fun enough but didn't do anything significant to stand out in a crowded genre.

Since then, 31st Union has remained silent on Project Ethos, but in February of this year, Xiaozhai report Condrey was fired from 2K Games due to the game's poor reception. At the time, 2K assured employees of its continued support for the project.

This news shows that 2K is indeed following through on its promise to continue supporting Project Ethos, although there are still concerns among the audience for online multiplayer shooters, especially escape shooters. Already worn out. But given the wording of the email, it may be a while before we receive another update.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter at IGN. You can find her posts at BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Have a story tip? Send it to [email protected].