The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Management Change Follows Mixed Reception
The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing early showing last autumn.
Recently, the company's top executive a key figure updated employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had revealed the necessity for a clearer game identity.
Ismailer expressed that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a refreshed vision, aiming to satisfy player expectations.
A Pattern of Strategic Hires
This announcement echoes a similar step taken by the publisher in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the complete text from the president's announcement:
Team—
I understand you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and innovative designers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that relationship to continue.”
With your dedication and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.
The player input from last fall’s the game playtest was informative. It validated the promise of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the necessity for a clearer vision.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the feedback to heart and reimagined Project ETHOS with a revitalized direction - one that’s positioned to fulfill its promise to our players.
The trust in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To boost the remarkable development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome the new hire as the latest Director of 31st Union. Following several months of conversations, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.
Ben’s leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming space is vast, having spent the last 15 years creating and leading some of the most popular series in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.
I invite you all in receiving him in the coming days. We are all excited to persist observing the development of Project ETHOS in the time to follow.
The President
Experience of the Incoming Head
Brinkman presently holds the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Information and Concept
Project Ethos was revealed in last year alongside a early access event. Initially, 31st Union described the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting step forward on the category."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch explains. "Take on the opponents with fresh skills, challenges, and obstacles that evolve every session. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively take a risk, put it on the line, and trust your team can achieve the highest spot? The decision is in your hands."
Project Ethos does not have an announced launch window or supported systems, but players can anticipate more updates as creation advances.
