The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Management Shift Comes After Lukewarm Reception
Brinkman assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last autumn.
On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer updated team members about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had revealed the necessity for a more defined game identity.
The president expressed that the developers is now overhauling the project with a revised focus, aiming to address player expectations.
A Pattern of Key Acquisitions
The news echoes a similar step taken by the publisher in August, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the full text from the president's memo:
Hello Everyone—
I know you all just wrapped up your gathering - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative creators we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to persist.”
Given your hard work and adaptability, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.
The community feedback from last fall’s the game demo was revealing. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the necessity for a clearer brand.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the criticism to heart and overhauled the title with a revitalized goal - one that’s ready to fulfill its promise to our players.
The belief in Project ETHOS grows every day. To boost the remarkable progress you’ve made, I’m excited to announce Ben Brinkman as the new Director of the team. Following some time of conversations, Ben starts with us on next week.
His management and background in the PVP shooter space is vast, having spent the recent years developing and managing some of the most recognizable titles in gaming, for example the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.
Let’s together in greeting him in the coming days. We are all looking forward to continue seeing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the months to follow.
David
Background of the New Head
The appointee presently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had stints at other industry leaders.
Title Details and Vision
The upcoming game was revealed in last year alongside a early access event. At the time, the developers described the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting advancement on the genre."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the official summary states. "Take on the opponents with new abilities, risks, and challenges that evolve every round. Do you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, risk it all, and pray your group can secure victory? The option is yours."
Project Ethos lacks an announced debut schedule or supported systems, but players can look forward to additional details as development progresses.
