The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.
Management Transition Comes After Lukewarm Feedback
The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing initial reveal last autumn.
Recently, 2K president a key figure informed staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had indicated the necessity for a more defined vision.
Ismailer noted that the team is now overhauling the project with a refreshed vision, aiming to address player expectations.
A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment
The news follows a similar move taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock development group.
Here is the complete content from the president's memo:
Hello Everyone—
I understand you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a note, I stated the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most driven and innovative designers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to continue.”
With your dedication and adaptability, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.
The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was revealing. It validated the promise of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had work to do. It highlighted the necessity for a clearer vision.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the criticism to heart and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s positioned to achieve its ambition to our players.
The belief in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To advance the outstanding advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce Ben Brinkman as the new Studio Head of the team. Following a period of conversations, he officially joins us on the specified date.
Ben’s guidance and experience in the PVP shooter space is vast, having spent the last 15 years creating and managing some of the most well-known series in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.
Let’s together in greeting him next week. We are all excited to keep seeing the development of the game in the time to follow.
David
Experience of the New Head
Brinkman currently serves in the role of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier worked at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Game Details and Vision
The upcoming game was unveiled in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. Initially, the developers described the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative evolution on the category."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch explains. "Face the competition with new abilities, challenges, and obstacles that evolve every match. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively take a risk, gamble everything, and pray your squad can achieve the highest spot? The option is yours."
The game lacks an announced release date or supported systems, but players can look forward to more updates as production progresses.
