2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Management Shift Comes After Lukewarm Reception
Brinkman steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last fall.
On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer informed employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had indicated the need for a distinct vision.
Ismailer noted that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to address player expectations.
Trend of Key Recruitment
This announcement follows a similar action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Below is the full text from Ismailer's communication:
Dear Team—
I know you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a update, I expressed the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and talented designers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to continue.”
Through your commitment and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.
The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It validated the promise of a action-packed game but indicated we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the requirement for a more distinct vision.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You took the feedback to consideration and reimagined the title with a renewed direction - one that’s positioned to deliver on its ambition to our fans.
The trust in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To boost the incredible development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of the team. Following several months of talks, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.
Ben’s leadership and experience in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having spent the past decade and a half creating and leading some of the most recognizable titles in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.
Let’s together in receiving Ben soon. We are all eager to keep witnessing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the months to follow.
David
Background of the New Head
Brinkman presently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Game Details and Concept
Project Ethos was revealed in last year alongside a public demo. At the time, the developers portrayed the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting evolution 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 description states. "Challenge the opponents with fresh skills, challenges, and tests that shift every round. Will you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Or go big, gamble everything, and hope your squad can achieve the highest spot? The choice is yours."
The game does not have an official release date or platforms, but players can look forward to further news as development progresses.
