Take-Two Interactive brought in former Apex Legends Head of Production Ben Brinkman will head up 31st Union's internal studio and lead the development of the upcoming free-to-play hero shooter. Project Ethos.
The news comes less than a year after Take-Two and subsidiary 2K Games, the latter of which houses 31st Union, studio head Michael Condrey fired after Project Ethos It was not possible to hook the cord after it was opened. About a year before Condrey left 2K confirmed the company laid off “a very small number of team members.”
Now, in an internal email provided to Game Developer by a 2K representative, division president David Ismailer explained that Brinkman will officially join 31st Union as head of the studio on October 20, 2025.
It is noteworthy that Ismailer said Project Ethos provided “instructive” results during playlists held last fall, which showed the need to make the title more distinct. Brinkman was brought on board after months of negotiations to achieve this goal.
“Community Feedback from Last Fall Project Ethos The play test was enlightening. He reiterated his promise to create a roguelike shooter, but told us that we still have work to do. This highlighted the need for a clearer identity,” Ismailer wrote. “It was inspiring to see how far you have come. You have taken the feedback to heart and reimagined Project Ethos with a renewed vision that is ready to deliver on the promise to our players.”
Ismailer said 2K's confidence in the game is growing every day and believes Brinkman, who previously held producer positions at Activision and EA, has the experience needed to create what the company hopes will become a recognizable franchise.
“Ben's leadership and experience in the PVP shooter space is vast, having spent the last 15 years developing and leading some of gaming's most recognizable franchises, including call of Duty Black Opsand more recently Apex Legends– continued Ismailer. – Please join me in welcoming Ben next week. We're all excited to continue watching the evolution Project Ethos in the coming months.”
