The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the anticipated over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.
Leadership Shift Follows Poor Reception
The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's disappointing initial reveal last fall.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure informed team members about this strategic move through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had indicated the need for a distinct direction.
The president expressed that the developers is now refining the project with a revised focus, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.
Trend of Key Recruitment
The news echoes a comparable move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Below is the full text from Ismailer's communication:
Dear Team—
I understand you all just finished your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Previously I shared you all a message, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most driven and talented creators we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to persist.”
With your dedication and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.
The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It confirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but indicated we still had work to do. It revealed the requirement for a more distinct identity.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the input to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s ready to deliver on its ambition to our audience.
The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To further the incredible development you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of 31st Union. Following several months of talks, Ben starts with us on Monday, October 20.
His guidance and background in the PVP shooter space is vast, having devoted the recent years producing and leading some of the most popular series in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.
Let’s together in receiving Ben soon. We are all eager to persist witnessing the progress of the game in the months to ahead.
The President
Background of the Incoming Head
The appointee presently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Information and Vision
Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 together with a public demo. Then, the developers described the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling step forward on the genre."
"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 states. "Take on the rivals with new abilities, stakes, and tests that evolve every round. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively aim high, put it on the line, and hope your team can secure victory? The option is in your hands."
Project Ethos has not yet received an official launch window or consoles, but enthusiasts can look forward to additional details as creation progresses.
