2K Games has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Management Change Comes After Poor Feedback
The new appointee takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming early showing last fall.
Recently, the company's top executive a key figure notified employees about this decision through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had indicated the necessity for a distinct vision.
The president noted that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to address gamer demands.
Trend of Key Hires
This announcement echoes a comparable action taken by the publisher in August, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.
Below is the complete message from the president's communication:
Team—
I know you all just wrapped up your meeting - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and creative developers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re eager for that partnership to continue.”
With your dedication and flexibility, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.
The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the requirement for a more distinct brand.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the feedback to mind and reimagined Project ETHOS with a refreshed vision - one that’s poised to deliver on its ambition to our players.
Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To advance the remarkable advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. After a period of discussions, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.
Ben’s guidance and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having devoted the past decade and a half developing and leading some of the most popular series in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.
Please join me in greeting Ben soon. We are all looking forward to continue witnessing the progress of Project ETHOS in the weeks to come.
The President
Experience of the New Head
The appointee currently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Game Details and Vision
The upcoming game was announced in last year together with a public demo. At the time, the developers presented the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative advancement on the style."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch explains. "Face the rivals with new abilities, risks, and challenges that change every session. Do you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively go big, put it on the line, and hope your group can achieve the highest spot? The choice is up to you."
Project Ethos has not yet received an confirmed release date or platforms, but players can look forward to further news as production progresses.
