2K Games has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the upcoming third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.
Management Transition Comes After Poor Reception
The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure updated team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had revealed the need for a distinct game identity.
The president noted that the team is now refining the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to better meet community desires.
A Pattern of Key Acquisitions
The news mirrors a similar action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the full text from the president's memo:
Hello Everyone—
I know you all just wrapped up your meeting - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a update, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most driven and creative creators we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to persist.”
Through your commitment and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.
The player input from last autumn’s the game playtest was revealing. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the need for a sharper vision.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the feedback to consideration and overhauled the title with a renewed direction - one that’s ready to fulfill its ambition to our players.
The trust in this project grows every day. To advance the outstanding development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of 31st Union. Following several months of talks, he starts with us on Monday, October 20.
His leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter space is vast, having dedicated the past decade and a half developing and overseeing some of the most popular titles in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.
I invite you all in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to continue witnessing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to follow.
David
Experience of the New Head
Brinkman presently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at major gaming companies in various development positions on the iconic franchise series, 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. Then, 31st Union described the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting advancement on the category."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the official summary states. "Face the competition with new abilities, stakes, and obstacles that shift every session. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or take a risk, risk it all, and pray your squad can earn top ranking? The option is in your hands."
Project Ethos has not yet received an announced release date or platforms, but fans can anticipate further news as production advances.
