The renowned publisher has secured 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 Project Ethos.
Leadership Transition Comes After Poor Response
Brinkman takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster unveiling last autumn.
On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure notified staff about this decision through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had revealed the need for a distinct direction.
Ismailer noted that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to satisfy community desires.
A Pattern of Key Hires
This announcement echoes a similar step taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock development group.
Here is the entire message from the president's announcement:
Hello Everyone—
I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a update, I stated the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative creators we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to persist.”
Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.
The gamer responses from last fall’s the game demo was informative. It confirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but made clear we still had work to do. It uncovered the need for a more distinct vision.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the input to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s ready to deliver on its ambition to our players.
The belief in this project grows every day. To advance the remarkable advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of the team. Following some time of talks, he comes aboard us on next week.
His management and background in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having spent the last 15 years developing and managing some of the most well-known titles in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.
Please join me in greeting Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to continue witnessing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the time to follow.
The President
Experience of the New Leader
The appointee presently holds the role of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.
Title Information and Vision
The upcoming game was announced in last year alongside a early access event. Then, 31st Union presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the style."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch reads. "Challenge the competition with new abilities, challenges, and challenges that shift every session. Do you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Or aim high, put it on the line, and hope your group can achieve the highest spot? The option is up to you."
Project Ethos has not yet received an official debut schedule or platforms, but enthusiasts can anticipate additional details as production advances.
