2K Poaches Apex Legends Producer Ben Brinkman to Rescue Project Ethos After Leadership Shake-Up
2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman, an executive producer at Respawn best known for his work on Apex Legends, as the new studio head of 31st Union to lead Project Ethos following a tepid reception to the game’s playtest and the reported departure of former studio head Michael Condrey.
What happened
On Monday, 2K announced that Ben Brinkman will join 31st Union as studio head on October 20. The move follows the studio’s community playtest for Project Ethos, which received a lukewarm response. Previously, Michael Condrey — who had been leading 31st Union — was reportedly dismissed after the playtest’s reception.
Who is Ben Brinkman
Brinkman is currently an executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment, where he worked on Apex Legends. Before Respawn, he held production roles at Treyarch and Activision on the Call of Duty franchise, and earlier in his career he had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts. His background is primarily in PVP shooters, which 2K cited as a reason for the hire.
Why the change
According to 2K, Project Ethos’ playtesting “uncovered the need for a more distinct identity.” Therefore, 31st Union is reimagining the game with a renewed vision, and 2K brought Brinkman in to steer that effort. In addition, 2K previously made a similar leadership hire in August when it recruited Rod Fergusson to work with Cloud Chamber.
About Project Ethos
Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 as a free-to-play, third-person roguelike hero shooter. 31st Union described it as a game where players “build your perfect run—or die trying,” shaping a hero in real time and choosing whether to extract with loot or risk everything for top ranking. The game has no announced release date or platforms yet.
For more on the initial reception and impressions, see the coverage from Gamespot and Kotaku linked below.
The memo from 2K
Team—
I know you all just wrapped up your town hall – I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a note, I shared the following statement: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most driven and creative developers we have had the chance to partner with – and we’re excited for that partnership to continue.”
With your dedication and flexibility, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.
The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was enlightening. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It uncovered the need for a more distinct identity.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You took the feedback to heart and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed vision – one that’s poised to deliver on its promise to our players
Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To further the incredible progress you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Studio Head of 31st Union. After several months of conversations, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.
Ben’s leadership and experience in the PVP shooter space is extensive, having spent the last 15 years developing and leading some of the most recognizable franchises in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.
Please join me in welcoming Ben next week. We are all excited to continue to see the evolution of Project ETHOS in the months to come.
David
Links and gameplay video
Read the original coverage of Project Ethos’ early impressions on Gamespot. For reporting on the leadership change involving Michael Condrey, see Kotaku. The official Project Ethos description is available on 2K’s site.
If you want to watch an early peek at gameplay, the video above shows the game’s early footage.
