The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Leadership Transition Follows Poor Reception
Brinkman steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing initial reveal last fall.
Recently, 2K president David Ismailer informed staff about this strategic move through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had shown the need for a more defined direction.
The president expressed that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.
A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment
This announcement mirrors a comparable move taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock development group.
Here is the full text from Ismailer's announcement:
Team—
I know you all just completed your gathering - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a message, I stated the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and talented designers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that relationship to endure.”
Given your hard work and versatility, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.
The community feedback from last autumn’s the game testing phase was revealing. It confirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the requirement for a clearer vision.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the criticism to mind and overhauled Project ETHOS with a refreshed direction - one that’s positioned to deliver on its potential to our fans.
The belief in this project strengthens every day. To further the outstanding development you’ve made, I’m excited to announce the new hire as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. After some time of conversations, he starts with us on Monday, October 20.
Ben’s leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter field is considerable, having spent the past decade and a half producing and leading some of the most well-known titles in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and lately, Apex Legends.
I invite you all in receiving Ben next week. We are all eager to continue witnessing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to follow.
David
Experience of the New Head
Brinkman currently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had stints at other industry leaders.
Game Information and Concept
The upcoming game was revealed in last year in conjunction with a public demo. Initially, the developers presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward on the genre."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the official summary reads. "Take on the rivals with unique powers, challenges, and tests that evolve every session. Will you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and hope your squad can achieve the highest spot? The option is in your hands."
The game does not have an announced release date or consoles, but players can expect further news as production progresses.