The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Management Change Follows Mixed Reception
Brinkman assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster initial reveal last autumn.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated staff about this decision through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had indicated the need for a more defined game identity.
The president expressed that the developers is now overhauling the project with a renewed vision, aiming to better meet community desires.
Trend of Key Recruitment
This announcement follows a similar move taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the BioShock development group.
Below is the full content from Ismailer's communication:
Team—
I know you all just finished your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and creative developers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to continue.”
Given your hard work and versatility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.
The community feedback from last autumn’s the game playtest was revealing. It confirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had work to do. It uncovered the need for a clearer brand.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the feedback to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s poised to achieve its promise to our fans.
Our confidence in this project grows every day. To boost the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of the team. After a period of talks, he officially joins us on next week.
Ben’s leadership and background in the competitive gaming field is vast, having dedicated the recent years producing and leading some of the most recognizable series in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.
I invite you all in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all excited to keep seeing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the weeks to ahead.
David
Background of the New Leader
The appointee currently holds the role of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.
Title Information and Vision
Project Ethos was unveiled in last year alongside a early access event. At the time, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting step forward on the style."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the description reads. "Take on the rivals with new abilities, stakes, and challenges that evolve every session. Will you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, risk it all, and hope your team can secure victory? The choice is up to you."
The game has not yet received an announced launch window or platforms, but fans can expect additional details as production progresses.
