2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently working on the forthcoming third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.
Management Change Comes After Poor Feedback
Brinkman steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster unveiling last autumn.
Recently, the company's top executive a key figure notified team members about this organizational change through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had shown the necessity for a clearer game identity.
Ismailer expressed that the team is now overhauling the project with a renewed approach, aiming to satisfy player expectations.
Trend of Strategic Recruitment
This announcement follows a similar move taken by the publisher in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the entire text from the president's announcement:
Team—
I understand you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative creators we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re eager for that partnership to continue.”
Through your commitment and flexibility, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.
The community feedback from last autumn’s the game playtest was revealing. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the requirement for a clearer brand.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the feedback to mind and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s positioned to achieve its potential to our fans.
Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To advance the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce the new hire as the new Lead of the team. Following several months of talks, he comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.
Ben’s management and background in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having dedicated the recent years developing and managing some of the most well-known franchises in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.
Please join me in greeting him next week. We are all eager to persist witnessing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to follow.
David
Experience of the New Head
Brinkman presently serves in the role of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Game Information and Concept
Project Ethos was announced in last year in conjunction with a early access event. Then, 31st Union described the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling evolution on the category."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary explains. "Challenge the competition with new abilities, challenges, and challenges that change every match. Do you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Or go big, gamble everything, and hope your squad can secure victory? The option is up to you."
Project Ethos lacks an announced release date or platforms, but players can look forward to further news as development continues.
