2K Games has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Management Change Comes After Poor Feedback
The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster early showing last autumn.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure updated staff about this organizational change through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had revealed the necessity for a more defined game identity.
The president noted that the developers is now overhauling the project with a revised approach, aiming to better meet gamer demands.
A Pattern of Key Hires
The news echoes a comparable action taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the entire message from the president's memo:
Hello Everyone—
I know you all just wrapped up your gathering - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative creators we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to endure.”
With your dedication and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.
The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the necessity for a clearer identity.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the input to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s poised to achieve its ambition to our audience.
Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To further the incredible progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of the team. After some time of discussions, he starts with us on Monday, October 20.
Ben’s leadership and background in the competitive gaming field is vast, having spent the past decade and a half producing and leading some of the most popular franchises in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.
I invite you all in greeting him in the coming days. We are all excited to keep seeing the development of the game in the months to ahead.
David
Background of the New Leader
Brinkman presently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Game Information and Vision
The upcoming game was revealed in last year together with a early access event. Initially, the developers described the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative evolution on the genre."
"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 game's pitch states. "Face the opponents with new abilities, stakes, and tests that change every match. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, put it on the line, and hope your team can earn top ranking? The decision is in your hands."
The game has not yet received an announced launch window or platforms, but enthusiasts can expect further news as creation continues.
