The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Management Shift Follows Mixed Feedback
The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster initial reveal last fall.
Recently, 2K president David Ismailer notified employees about this decision through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had revealed the need for a distinct game identity.
The president noted that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.
Trend of Strategic Hires
The news echoes a similar action taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the full text from the president's announcement:
Dear Team—
I understand you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and talented developers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to persist.”
Given your hard work and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.
The player input from last fall’s the game testing phase was revealing. It confirmed the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the necessity for a clearer brand.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the input to consideration and overhauled the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s positioned to deliver on its potential to our players.
Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To further the remarkable advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce the new hire as the incoming Lead of the team. Following some time of conversations, he officially joins us on next week.
Ben’s leadership and background in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having dedicated the recent years producing and managing some of the most recognizable franchises in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.
Please join me in welcoming Ben next week. We are all looking forward to persist observing the development of Project ETHOS in the weeks to ahead.
David
Background of the Incoming Head
Brinkman presently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had periods at other industry leaders.
Title Information and Vision
Project Ethos was announced in last year in conjunction with a public demo. Then, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative step forward on the category."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch states. "Face the competition with unique powers, stakes, and challenges that shift every round. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, risk it all, and pray your squad can secure victory? The option is up to you."
The game has not yet received an official release date or consoles, but fans can anticipate additional details as creation advances.
