The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Management Shift Follows Poor Reception
The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster initial reveal last fall.
Recently, 2K president David Ismailer updated employees about this decision through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the necessity for a distinct direction.
The president expressed that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to satisfy player expectations.
Trend of Key Acquisitions
This announcement mirrors a comparable move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the full content from Ismailer's memo:
Dear Team—
I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative creators we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to continue.”
Given your hard work and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.
The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was revealing. It validated the promise of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had work to do. It highlighted the necessity for a clearer identity.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the criticism to heart and overhauled the title with a renewed direction - one that’s ready to achieve its ambition to our fans.
The belief in this project grows every day. To boost the outstanding development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of the team. After some time of conversations, he comes aboard us on next week.
Ben’s leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter field is extensive, having devoted the last 15 years developing and leading some of the most popular titles in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.
I invite you all in receiving him in the coming days. We are all looking forward to keep seeing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.
The President
Background of the Incoming Head
The appointee presently holds the role of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had periods at other industry leaders.
Game Information and Concept
The upcoming game was unveiled in last year alongside a early access event. At the time, the developers described the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the style."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the description reads. "Challenge the rivals with new abilities, challenges, and challenges that evolve every match. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively aim high, gamble everything, and pray your team can earn top ranking? The decision is yours."
Project Ethos does not have an confirmed debut schedule or supported systems, but players can anticipate additional details as production advances.
