The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Change Follows Lukewarm Feedback
The new appointee assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster initial reveal last autumn.
On Wednesday, 2K president a key figure updated team members about this organizational change through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the need for a more defined direction.
Ismailer stated that the developers is now refining the project with a renewed focus, aiming to address player expectations.
Trend of Key Recruitment
This announcement follows a comparable action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.
Below is the full content from the president's announcement:
Dear Team—
I understand you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and innovative creators we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to endure.”
Given your hard work and versatility, particularly over the last year, you repeatedly show that.
The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had work to do. It uncovered the requirement for a more distinct vision.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the criticism to heart and overhauled the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s ready to achieve its promise to our fans.
The belief in this project increases every day. To advance the incredible advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome the new hire as the latest Lead of 31st Union. After a period of talks, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.
His management and experience in the competitive gaming space is considerable, having devoted the past decade and a half developing and managing some of the most well-known series in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.
I invite you all in receiving Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to persist observing the evolution of the game in the weeks to ahead.
David
Background of the New Leader
The appointee presently holds the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He previously worked at major gaming companies in various production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.
Title Details and Vision
The upcoming game was announced in last year together with a public demo. At the time, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the category."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary explains. "Challenge the opponents with unique powers, challenges, and challenges that shift every round. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, risk it all, and pray your squad can secure victory? The option is in your hands."
Project Ethos lacks an confirmed launch window or platforms, but enthusiasts can look forward to more updates as development progresses.
