🔗 Share this article

The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Change Comes After Lukewarm Response

The new appointee steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's disappointing initial reveal last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated staff about this strategic move through an internal memo, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had shown the need for a clearer game identity.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to address gamer demands.

A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions

The news mirrors a comparable action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the complete content from the president's announcement:

Dear Team—

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 sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative developers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re excited for that relationship to persist.”

With your dedication and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was enlightening. It affirmed the promise of a action-packed game but made clear we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the requirement for a clearer identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the input to heart and reimagined Project ETHOS with a revitalized vision - one that’s positioned to fulfill its potential to our audience.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To further the remarkable advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome Ben Brinkman as the incoming Director of 31st Union. After some time of talks, he starts with us on next week.

His leadership and experience in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having dedicated the recent years developing and managing some of the most popular franchises in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in receiving him next week. We are all excited to continue observing the development of the game in the weeks to come.

David

Background of the New Head

Brinkman currently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in last year in conjunction with a public demo. Then, the developers portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person 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 real-time to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch reads. "Challenge the competition with unique powers, stakes, and tests that evolve every round. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Or aim high, risk it all, and pray your group can secure victory? The decision is in your hands."

Project Ethos does not have an official launch window or platforms, but players can anticipate additional details as production progresses.