The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Management Transition Follows Poor Reception
Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last autumn.
On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure informed staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had indicated the necessity for a distinct game identity.
Ismailer noted that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a renewed approach, aiming to satisfy community desires.
Trend of Strategic Hires
The news echoes a similar action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise development group.
Below is the entire text from Ismailer's announcement:
Hello Everyone—
I know you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and creative designers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to continue.”
With your dedication and versatility, especially over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.
The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was enlightening. It validated the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the need for a clearer identity.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the input to consideration and reimagined the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s positioned to deliver on its ambition to our players.
The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the remarkable progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. Following some time of discussions, he starts with us on Monday, October 20.
Ben’s leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is extensive, having spent the recent years creating and leading some of the most popular titles in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.
I invite you all in greeting him in the coming days. We are all eager to continue witnessing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to come.
The President
Experience of the New Head
The appointee presently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had periods at other industry leaders.
Title Information and Vision
Project Ethos was unveiled in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. Then, 31st Union described the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling evolution on the category."
"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 states. "Challenge the rivals with new abilities, challenges, and tests that evolve every match. Will you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and trust your team can earn top ranking? The decision is in your hands."
Project Ethos does not have an confirmed debut schedule or supported systems, but players can expect more updates as creation continues.
