The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Management Shift Comes After Mixed Response
Brinkman steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming initial reveal last fall.
On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure notified team members about this strategic move through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had indicated the necessity for a clearer vision.
The president stated that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a refreshed vision, aiming to satisfy community desires.
Trend of Strategic Acquisitions
This announcement follows a comparable action taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.
Below is the complete text from the president's communication:
Team—
I know you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a note, I stated the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented designers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to endure.”
Given your hard work and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.
The gamer responses from last autumn’s the game testing phase was informative. It validated the promise of a action-packed game but made clear we still had work to do. It uncovered the requirement for a more distinct brand.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the feedback to consideration and revamped the title with a renewed goal - one that’s positioned to achieve its ambition to our audience.
Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To further the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to announce the new hire as the new Lead of the team. Following several months of conversations, Ben comes aboard us on the specified date.
Ben’s leadership and experience in the competitive gaming field is vast, having dedicated the recent years producing and managing some of the most popular series in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, Apex Legends.
Please join me in welcoming Ben soon. We are all excited to keep seeing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to ahead.
The President
Experience of the Incoming Head
The appointee currently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.
Game Information and Vision
The upcoming game was revealed in last year alongside a public demo. At the time, 31st Union described the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the category."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch states. "Face the opponents with new abilities, stakes, and challenges that evolve every round. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively aim high, gamble everything, and hope your group can achieve the highest spot? The option is yours."
The game does not have an announced release date or consoles, but enthusiasts can expect additional details as production progresses.
