2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Management Transition Follows Lukewarm Feedback
Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing early showing last fall.
Recently, 2K president a key figure informed team members about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had indicated the necessity for a more defined game identity.
The president expressed that the team is now overhauling the project with a revised vision, aiming to better meet community desires.
Trend of Strategic Hires
This announcement follows a comparable move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.
Below is the entire content from Ismailer's memo:
Hello Everyone—
I know you all just finished your town hall - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this crew. 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 endure.”
Through your commitment and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.
The gamer responses from last autumn’s the game testing phase was enlightening. It confirmed the promise of a action-packed game but made clear we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the necessity for a clearer identity.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the criticism to heart and revamped the title with a renewed goal - one that’s positioned to deliver on its ambition to our audience.
Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To advance the outstanding progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of the team. After some time of discussions, Ben starts with us on next week.
Ben’s guidance and expertise in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having spent the recent years producing and overseeing some of the most popular titles in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.
Let’s together in receiving him in the coming days. We are all excited to continue observing the evolution of the game in the weeks to come.
The President
Experience of the New Leader
The appointee presently serves in the role of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Game Details and Concept
Project Ethos was unveiled in last year together with a public demo. Then, the developers portrayed the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative step forward on the genre."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch explains. "Challenge the rivals with unique powers, stakes, and obstacles that change every session. Do you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, gamble everything, and hope your team can secure victory? The choice is up to you."
The game does not have an official launch window or supported systems, but players can expect additional details as production progresses.
