The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.
Management Transition Comes After Mixed Reception
The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last autumn.
Recently, 2K president a key figure notified team members about this decision through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a more defined vision.
Ismailer noted that the developers is now overhauling the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.
A Pattern of Key Hires
The news echoes a similar move taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the complete content from Ismailer's communication:
Hello Everyone—
I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Previously I shared you all a message, I stated the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative developers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to endure.”
Through your commitment and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.
The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It validated the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had refinements needed. It revealed the necessity for a more distinct brand.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the input to consideration and reimagined the title with a renewed vision - one that’s ready to achieve its ambition to our players.
Our confidence in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To further the remarkable development you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of the team. After some time of conversations, he officially joins us on next week.
Ben’s management and background in the PVP shooter field is extensive, having spent the past decade and a half developing and overseeing some of the most popular series in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and lately, Apex Legends.
Please join me in receiving Ben next week. We are all looking forward to continue witnessing the development of the game in the time to ahead.
David
Background of the Incoming Head
Brinkman presently serves in the role of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had stints at other industry leaders.
Title Information and Concept
The upcoming game was revealed in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting evolution on the category."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch states. "Face the competition with new abilities, challenges, and challenges that change every match. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, gamble everything, and trust your group can secure victory? The option is yours."
The game has not yet received an announced debut schedule or platforms, but players can look forward to further news as creation advances.
