2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Shift Comes After Poor Feedback
The new appointee takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster initial reveal last autumn.
Recently, the company's top executive a key figure informed employees about this decision through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the requirement for a more defined vision.
The president noted that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.
A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment
This announcement echoes a comparable action taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock development group.
Here is the full message from the president's announcement:
Hello Everyone—
I understand you all just finished your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a update, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative creators we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re eager for that relationship to endure.”
Through your commitment and adaptability, especially over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.
The gamer responses from last autumn’s the game testing phase was informative. It affirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but made clear we still had improvements to make. It revealed the requirement for a more distinct vision.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the criticism to consideration and revamped the title with a renewed direction - one that’s ready to achieve its potential to our audience.
The trust in this project grows every day. To advance the remarkable progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. After some time of talks, Ben starts with us on Monday, October 20.
His leadership and background in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having devoted the recent years creating and leading some of the most recognizable series in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.
I invite you all in receiving Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to persist witnessing the evolution of the game in the time to ahead.
The President
Background of the Incoming Head
Brinkman currently holds the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously was employed at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.
Game Information and Vision
The upcoming game was unveiled in last year together with a early access event. Initially, 31st Union described the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative advancement on the genre."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch explains. "Take on the opponents with unique powers, risks, and challenges that shift every match. Will you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively go big, put it on the line, and pray your squad can achieve the highest spot? The choice is up to you."
Project Ethos does not have an announced launch window or consoles, but fans can look forward to additional details as development progresses.
