The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently working on the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.
Management Change Follows Mixed Feedback
Brinkman steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster initial reveal last fall.
On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer notified employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had revealed the requirement for a distinct game identity.
Ismailer noted that the developers is now overhauling the project with a renewed approach, aiming to satisfy player expectations.
A Pattern of Strategic Hires
The news mirrors a similar move taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock development group.
Below is the complete content from the president's communication:
Team—
I know you all just completed your gathering - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a update, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and talented designers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to continue.”
Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.
The player input from last autumn’s the game testing phase was enlightening. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the need for a clearer identity.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the input to consideration and overhauled the title with a renewed vision - one that’s ready to achieve its ambition to our players.
The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the outstanding advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. After several months of conversations, he comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.
His leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having devoted the past decade and a half developing and managing some of the most recognizable franchises in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.
Let’s together in receiving him in the coming days. We are all looking forward to persist seeing the development of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.
David
Background of the New Leader
Brinkman currently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Game Information and Concept
Project Ethos was announced in last year in conjunction with a public demo. At the time, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative advancement on the genre."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary explains. "Face the opponents with unique powers, challenges, and obstacles that change every match. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Or go big, put it on the line, and trust your group can earn top ranking? The decision is yours."
The game lacks an announced release date or consoles, but players can anticipate more updates as production progresses.
