🔗 Share this article

The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Transition Comes After Poor Reception

Brinkman steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated team members about this strategic move through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had revealed the necessity for a distinct direction.

Ismailer stated that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to address community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement echoes a comparable action taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire text 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 mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative developers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to endure.”

Given your hard work and versatility, 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 revealed the requirement for a more distinct identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the input to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s ready to fulfill its promise to our fans.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To boost the remarkable development you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome the new hire as the latest Director of 31st Union. Following some time of talks, he starts with us on next week.

Ben’s leadership and experience in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having spent the recent years creating and managing some of the most popular series in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in greeting Ben next week. We are all looking forward to continue witnessing the progress of Project ETHOS in the months to come.

The President

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman currently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously was employed at major gaming companies in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in last year in conjunction with a public demo. At the time, 31st Union presented the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch states. "Challenge the competition with new abilities, challenges, and obstacles that change every match. Will you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Or aim high, risk it all, and hope your team can achieve the highest spot? The choice is up to you."

Project Ethos does not have an official launch window or consoles, but enthusiasts can look forward to further news as development continues.