The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Management Change Comes After Mixed Reception
Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last fall.
Recently, 2K president a key figure notified team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the need for a clearer vision.
Ismailer noted that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a renewed approach, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.
Trend of Strategic Acquisitions
The news echoes a similar move taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the complete content from the president's memo:
Team—
I understand you all just finished your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and talented developers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re eager for that relationship to endure.”
With your dedication and flexibility, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.
The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was enlightening. It validated the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the need for a clearer vision.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the input to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s positioned to deliver on its ambition to our players.
The belief in this project strengthens every day. To further the outstanding development you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome Ben Brinkman as the incoming Director of the team. Following a period of discussions, he comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.
His leadership and background in the PVP shooter field is extensive, having dedicated the past decade and a half creating and leading some of the most popular series in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.
I invite you all in greeting Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to continue witnessing the progress of Project ETHOS in the months to ahead.
The President
Background of the New Leader
Brinkman currently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.
Game Information and Concept
Project Ethos was revealed in last year alongside a community playtest. At the time, the developers described the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling evolution on the style."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch explains. "Take on the rivals with fresh skills, challenges, and challenges that change every round. Will you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Or aim high, gamble everything, and hope your group can secure victory? The choice is yours."
The game has not yet received an confirmed release date or supported systems, but players can expect more updates as production progresses.
