The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Leadership Shift Follows Lukewarm Feedback
Brinkman assumes 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 unveiling last fall.
Recently, 2K president David Ismailer notified team members about this decision through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the necessity for a more defined direction.
Ismailer stated that the developers is now refining the project with a revised focus, aiming to address player expectations.
Trend of Key Acquisitions
This announcement mirrors a comparable move taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the full text from the president's communication:
Dear Team—
I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative designers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to endure.”
Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.
The community feedback from last autumn’s the game testing phase was informative. It affirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had work to do. It highlighted the need for a sharper vision.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the criticism to mind and reimagined Project ETHOS with a refreshed direction - one that’s positioned to deliver on its potential to our players.
Our confidence in this project grows every day. To advance the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce the new hire as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. Following some time of conversations, he starts with us on next week.
His guidance and background in the PVP shooter space is extensive, having spent the recent years developing and leading some of the most popular franchises in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.
Please join me in welcoming him in the coming days. We are all looking forward to persist witnessing the progress of the game in the time to follow.
The President
Background of the New Head
The appointee currently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He previously worked at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Game Information and Vision
The upcoming game was announced in last year together with a public demo. At the time, the developers described the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting step forward on the style."
"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 description states. "Take on the opponents with fresh skills, risks, and challenges that evolve every round. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or aim high, risk it all, and trust your team can earn top ranking? The option is up to you."
The game lacks an announced release date or supported systems, but players can look forward to more updates as development progresses.
