2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Management Transition Follows Poor Reception
Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming early showing last autumn.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure informed employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had revealed the requirement for a clearer direction.
Ismailer noted that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed vision, aiming to satisfy player expectations.
A Pattern of Key Acquisitions
This announcement echoes a similar action taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Below is the complete message from Ismailer's announcement:
Team—
I understand you all just finished your meeting - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a message, I stated the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative designers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re excited for that partnership to continue.”
Given your hard work and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.
The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was enlightening. It affirmed the promise of a action-packed game but told us we still had work to do. It uncovered the requirement for a clearer vision.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the criticism to heart and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s poised to achieve its ambition to our players.
The belief in Project ETHOS grows every day. To advance the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to announce the new hire as the new Studio Head of 31st Union. Following several months of discussions, he comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.
His guidance and experience in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having spent the past decade and a half developing and leading some of the most recognizable franchises in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, Apex Legends.
Please join me in receiving Ben soon. We are all eager to keep observing the progress of Project ETHOS in the weeks to come.
David
Experience of the Incoming Head
Brinkman presently holds the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He previously was employed at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Information and Vision
The upcoming game was unveiled in last year together with a early access event. Initially, the developers portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling advancement on the genre."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the official summary states. "Challenge the opponents with unique powers, challenges, and tests that shift every round. Do you leave securely with your collected items? Alternatively go big, gamble everything, and pray your team can secure victory? The option is up to you."
The game has not yet received an announced launch window or supported systems, but fans can anticipate more updates as creation advances.
