2K Games has secured a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Transition Follows Poor Feedback
The new appointee steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster unveiling last fall.
Recently, 2K president a key figure updated staff about this strategic move through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a distinct vision.
Ismailer stated that the team is now refining the project with a revised approach, aiming to satisfy community desires.
Trend of Key Hires
The news mirrors a similar step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the entire text from the president's announcement:
Team—
I understand you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and creative creators we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to persist.”
Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.
The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It confirmed the promise of a action-packed game but indicated we still had improvements to make. It revealed the necessity for a more distinct brand.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the feedback to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s poised to achieve its ambition to our fans.
The belief in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To further the incredible advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of the team. Following several months of conversations, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.
His management and experience in the competitive gaming space is considerable, having dedicated the recent years producing and leading some of the most recognizable titles in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.
I invite you all in receiving him soon. We are all eager to keep witnessing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to ahead.
The President
Experience of the Incoming Leader
Brinkman presently serves in the role of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had stints at other industry leaders.
Title Information and Concept
Project Ethos was unveiled in last year alongside a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative step forward on the genre."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the official summary reads. "Challenge the rivals with fresh skills, risks, and challenges that evolve every round. Do you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Or go big, gamble everything, and pray your team can achieve the highest spot? The choice is in your hands."
Project Ethos lacks an confirmed release date or consoles, but players can look forward to additional details as creation advances.
