2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Leadership Change Follows Poor Reception
Brinkman steps into 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 the game's underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.
Recently, 2K president David Ismailer updated staff about this strategic move through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had indicated the need for a more defined vision.
Ismailer expressed that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised approach, aiming to address community desires.
A Pattern of Key Hires
The news echoes a similar action taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the BioShock development group.
Below is the full message from the president's memo:
Team—
I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a message, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and creative designers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to endure.”
Given your hard work and versatility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.
The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It affirmed the promise of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the necessity for a clearer brand.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the criticism to heart and revamped the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s ready to achieve its promise to our fans.
The trust in Project ETHOS grows every day. To further the outstanding development you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome the new hire as the incoming Lead of the team. After several months of talks, he comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.
Ben’s guidance and expertise in the PVP shooter field is extensive, having dedicated the past decade and a half producing and overseeing some of the most recognizable franchises in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.
I invite you all in receiving Ben next week. We are all eager to continue observing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the weeks to ahead.
The President
Background of the Incoming Head
The appointee currently 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 various production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had periods at other industry leaders.
Game Information and Vision
The upcoming game was unveiled in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. At the time, the developers described the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling step forward on the genre."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the official summary states. "Take on the competition with unique powers, challenges, and challenges that change every session. Do you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Or aim high, risk it all, and hope your team can achieve the highest spot? The decision is up to you."
The game lacks an announced debut schedule or consoles, but players can look forward to further news as creation advances.
