The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.
Management Shift Comes After Lukewarm Response
The new appointee steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last fall.
Recently, 2K president David Ismailer updated team members about this strategic move through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had shown the requirement for a more defined vision.
Ismailer noted that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to better meet community desires.
A Pattern of Strategic Hires
This announcement follows a similar action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the full message from Ismailer's memo:
Hello Everyone—
I know you all just wrapped up your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a update, I expressed the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and creative designers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to continue.”
Given your hard work and adaptability, especially over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.
The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was enlightening. It confirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the requirement for a more distinct brand.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the criticism to consideration and overhauled the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s ready to achieve its promise to our fans.
Our confidence in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To boost the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the latest Lead of the team. After some time of talks, Ben comes aboard us on next week.
Ben’s leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter field is vast, having dedicated the recent years developing and leading some of the most popular titles in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.
Let’s together in greeting him soon. We are all looking forward to continue witnessing the evolution of the game in the weeks to follow.
The President
Background of the New Head
The appointee currently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had periods at other industry leaders.
Game Information and Vision
The upcoming game was announced in last year together with a public demo. At the time, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative evolution on the genre."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch states. "Take on the competition with unique powers, stakes, and challenges that change every session. Will you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, risk it all, and hope your group can achieve the highest spot? The decision is yours."
Project Ethos has not yet received an confirmed debut schedule or platforms, but fans can anticipate additional details as development progresses.
