2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Transition Comes After Poor Feedback
Brinkman steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster early showing last fall.
Recently, the company's top executive a key figure notified staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had indicated the need for a distinct game identity.
The president stated that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to satisfy community desires.
Trend of Strategic Hires
The news follows a similar action taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.
Below is the complete message from Ismailer's memo:
Team—
I know you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a update, I stated the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and talented developers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to persist.”
Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.
The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was informative. It validated the appeal of a action-packed game but made clear we still had improvements to make. It revealed the need for a more distinct brand.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the feedback to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a revitalized goal - one that’s poised to achieve its ambition to our players.
Our confidence in this project increases every day. To further the outstanding development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce the new hire as the incoming Lead of the team. Following a period of discussions, he comes aboard us on the specified date.
His leadership and background in the PVP shooter genre is extensive, having spent the recent years creating and managing some of the most well-known series in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.
Let’s together in greeting him next week. We are all excited to keep witnessing the evolution of the game in the weeks to follow.
The President
Background of the Incoming Leader
The appointee currently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.
Title Details and Concept
The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 alongside a early access event. Then, the developers portrayed the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting step forward 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 suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch explains. "Challenge the rivals with unique powers, challenges, and obstacles that shift every match. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and pray your team can secure victory? The option is yours."
The game does not have an official release date or supported systems, but players can anticipate additional details as production advances.
