2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Management Shift Comes After Poor Reception
The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster unveiling last autumn.
On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer informed staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had indicated the requirement for a more defined direction.
Ismailer stated that the developers is now refining the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to address player expectations.
Trend of Strategic Recruitment
This announcement follows a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock development group.
Below is the complete text from Ismailer's memo:
Team—
I know you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a update, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and talented creators we have had the chance to work with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to persist.”
Given your hard work and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.
The gamer responses from last fall’s the game testing phase was informative. It validated the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It revealed the need for a sharper brand.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the feedback to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s positioned to achieve its promise to our players.
The trust in this project grows every day. To advance the incredible progress you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. Following several months of talks, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.
His management and experience in the competitive gaming field is considerable, having spent the past decade and a half developing and managing some of the most popular series in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.
Please join me in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all excited to keep seeing the progress of the game in the time to ahead.
The President
Background of the Incoming Leader
Brinkman presently serves in the position of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had stints at other industry leaders.
Title Information and Vision
The upcoming game was revealed in last year alongside a community playtest. Then, the developers presented the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting advancement on the style."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary states. "Take on the rivals with fresh skills, risks, and obstacles that change every round. Will you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Or go big, risk it all, and pray your team can achieve the highest spot? The choice is in your hands."
Project Ethos lacks an announced debut schedule or supported systems, but fans can look forward to more updates as production continues.
