The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Management Change Comes After Lukewarm Response
Brinkman assumes the role of studio head at the development studio following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster unveiling last autumn.
Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified team members about this strategic move through an internal memo, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had indicated the need for a distinct direction.
Ismailer noted that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a revised approach, aiming to address community desires.
A Pattern of Key Recruitment
This announcement echoes a comparable move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Below is the complete text from Ismailer's communication:
Team—
I know you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and innovative creators we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that relationship to continue.”
Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.
The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had work to do. It uncovered the need for a clearer vision.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the feedback to mind and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s positioned to fulfill its potential to our fans.
The trust in this project grows every day. To boost the remarkable progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. Following a period of discussions, Ben officially joins us on next week.
His guidance and experience in the competitive gaming genre is extensive, having dedicated the recent years developing and leading some of the most popular franchises in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.
Let’s together in greeting Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to keep seeing the progress of Project ETHOS in the weeks to come.
David
Experience of the Incoming Leader
Brinkman presently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Information and Vision
The upcoming game was announced in last year in conjunction with a public demo. Initially, the developers portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling step forward on the style."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the official summary explains. "Challenge the rivals with new abilities, risks, and challenges that evolve every match. Do you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Or take a risk, risk it all, and hope your team can achieve the highest spot? The decision is yours."
Project Ethos lacks an official debut schedule or consoles, but players can anticipate more updates as production progresses.
