The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Transition Follows Poor Response
Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last fall.
Recently, the company's top executive a key figure updated team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had indicated the necessity for a distinct vision.
The president noted that the team is now reimagining the project with a revised focus, aiming to better meet gamer demands.
Trend of Strategic Acquisitions
The news echoes a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the full content from Ismailer's announcement:
Team—
I know you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Previously I shared you all a message, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and creative developers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to endure.”
Given your hard work and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.
The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was revealing. It validated the appeal 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 accepted the input to heart and overhauled the title with a renewed vision - one that’s positioned to deliver on its ambition to our players.
The belief in Project ETHOS grows every day. To further the outstanding progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of the team. Following some time of discussions, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.
His guidance and experience in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having devoted the recent years developing and leading some of the most well-known series in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.
Please join me in greeting him next week. We are all eager to continue seeing the progress of Project ETHOS in the weeks to come.
David
Experience of the New Head
The appointee presently holds the role of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Game Information and Vision
Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 alongside a community playtest. Initially, the developers described the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward on the style."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch explains. "Face the opponents with fresh skills, stakes, and tests that shift every session. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively take a risk, gamble everything, and trust your squad can achieve the highest spot? The choice is in your hands."
The game has not yet received an official debut schedule or platforms, but enthusiasts can look forward to further news as production progresses.
