The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.
Leadership Change Follows Poor Response
The new appointee steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last fall.
On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure notified team members about this decision through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a distinct direction.
Ismailer stated that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to address community desires.
Trend of Strategic Acquisitions
This announcement follows a similar action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock development group.
Here is the full text from Ismailer's communication:
Dear Team—
I know you all just completed your gathering - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a update, I stated the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and creative creators we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to continue.”
Given your hard work and versatility, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.
The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was enlightening. It validated the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the requirement for a more distinct identity.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the feedback to consideration and reimagined the title with a revitalized goal - one that’s ready to achieve its promise to our players.
The belief in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To boost the incredible progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Director of the team. After a period of talks, Ben comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.
Ben’s guidance and background in the competitive gaming space is vast, having dedicated the recent years developing and managing some of the most popular series in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.
Let’s together in receiving Ben soon. We are all excited to continue observing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to ahead.
David
Experience of the Incoming Head
Brinkman presently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, earlier in his career, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Game Information and Vision
Project Ethos was unveiled in last year together with a community playtest. Then, the developers presented the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative advancement on the style."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the description explains. "Take on the rivals with unique powers, risks, and tests that shift every round. Will you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Alternatively go big, put it on the line, and hope your group can earn top ranking? The decision is in your hands."
The game lacks an confirmed launch window or consoles, but players can look forward to further news as creation progresses.
