The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the forthcoming third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.
Management Shift Follows Lukewarm Response
Brinkman takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last fall.
Recently, the company's top executive a key figure informed staff about this strategic move through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the necessity for a clearer direction.
The president expressed that the team is now overhauling the project with a refreshed focus, aiming to address gamer demands.
A Pattern of Key Acquisitions
The news echoes a similar action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock development group.
Below is the full content from the president's memo:
Team—
I understand you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most driven and innovative designers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to persist.”
With your dedication and versatility, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.
The player input from last fall’s the game playtest was revealing. It validated the promise of a action-packed game but indicated we still had improvements to make. It revealed the necessity for a sharper vision.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the input to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a refreshed vision - one that’s ready to fulfill its potential to our players.
Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To advance the remarkable development you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome the new hire as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. After several months of discussions, he starts with us on next week.
Ben’s guidance and background in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having devoted the past decade and a half creating and overseeing some of the most well-known franchises in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.
I invite you all in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all excited to keep witnessing the evolution of the game in the time to come.
David
Experience of the Incoming Head
Brinkman currently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had assignments at other industry leaders.
Title Information and Vision
The upcoming game was unveiled in last year in conjunction with a early access event. Initially, the developers presented the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling evolution on the category."
"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 game's pitch states. "Face the rivals with new abilities, risks, and challenges that shift every round. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Or take a risk, risk it all, and pray your team can achieve the highest spot? The option is yours."
The game has not yet received an announced debut schedule or consoles, but enthusiasts can expect further news as production progresses.
