2K Games has appointed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Management Transition Follows Poor Feedback
Brinkman assumes the role of studio head at the development studio following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing early showing last fall.
On Wednesday, 2K president David Ismailer notified employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the need for a distinct direction.
Ismailer noted that the team is now reimagining the project with a revised approach, aiming to address player expectations.
A Pattern of Key Acquisitions
The news echoes a comparable move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise development group.
Here is the entire message from Ismailer's announcement:
Team—
I understand you all just finished your town hall - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a update, I stated the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative designers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re excited for that relationship to persist.”
With your dedication and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.
The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It validated the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the requirement for a sharper identity.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the feedback to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s positioned to fulfill its ambition to our fans.
The belief in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To advance the incredible progress you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. After a period of talks, Ben comes aboard us on next week.
His guidance and background in the PVP shooter field is vast, having dedicated the last 15 years creating and overseeing some of the most popular franchises in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.
Let’s together in receiving him next week. We are all looking forward to persist seeing the development of the game in the months to follow.
David
Background of the New Leader
The appointee currently holds the role of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Details and Vision
Project Ethos was revealed in last year together with a early access event. Initially, the developers presented the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting evolution 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 states. "Challenge the rivals with new abilities, risks, and tests that change every match. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and trust your group can secure victory? The decision is up to you."
Project Ethos lacks an announced release date or platforms, but players can expect more updates as development progresses.
