The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Transition Comes After Mixed Response
The new appointee steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's disappointing initial reveal last fall.
On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer notified staff about this organizational change through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had indicated the requirement for a distinct game identity.
Ismailer expressed that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to address player expectations.
Trend of Strategic Recruitment
The news echoes a comparable move taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock development group.
Below is the entire content from Ismailer's communication:
Dear Team—
I understand you all just completed your town hall - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a update, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and creative creators we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to persist.”
Through your commitment and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.
The gamer responses from last fall’s the game testing phase was revealing. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It revealed the requirement for a more distinct brand.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the criticism to consideration and overhauled the title with a revitalized vision - one that’s ready to fulfill its ambition to our audience.
The trust in this project increases every day. To boost the remarkable progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of the team. Following a period of conversations, Ben starts with us on the specified date.
His leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming field is considerable, having dedicated the last 15 years producing and overseeing some of the most popular series in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.
Let’s together in receiving him soon. We are all eager to persist observing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the time to come.
David
Background of the New Leader
Brinkman presently holds the role of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Details and Concept
Project Ethos was revealed in last year alongside a community playtest. Then, the developers portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative evolution on the genre."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the description states. "Take on the opponents with unique powers, stakes, and challenges that change every round. Do you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively go big, risk it all, and pray your squad can secure victory? The decision is up to you."
The game lacks an confirmed release date or consoles, but players can look forward to additional details as development advances.
