The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Leadership Shift Follows Lukewarm Feedback
Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's disappointing early showing last fall.
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 necessity for a distinct direction.
The president noted that the developers is now refining the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to satisfy community desires.
Trend of Strategic Hires
The news follows a comparable step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.
Below is the entire message from Ismailer's memo:
Dear Team—
I know you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a message, I stated the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and talented developers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to endure.”
Given your hard work and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.
The gamer responses from last autumn’s the game playtest was revealing. It confirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the requirement for a clearer brand.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the input to consideration and revamped the title with a renewed direction - one that’s ready to achieve its promise to our fans.
The belief in this project increases every day. To advance the outstanding progress you’ve made, I’m excited to announce Ben Brinkman as the new Director of 31st Union. After some time of conversations, he comes aboard us on the specified date.
Ben’s guidance and experience in the PVP shooter space is vast, having spent the last 15 years creating and managing some of the most well-known series in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, Apex Legends.
I invite you all in receiving Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to keep seeing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.
David
Background of the New Leader
Brinkman currently holds the position of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had periods at other industry leaders.
Title Details and Concept
Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 alongside a community playtest. At the time, the developers presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting 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 suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch explains. "Challenge the rivals with new abilities, stakes, and challenges that change every session. Do you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Or aim high, gamble everything, and hope your squad can earn top ranking? The decision is yours."
Project Ethos lacks an official release date or consoles, but players can expect additional details as creation continues.
