The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Change Follows Lukewarm Reception
The new appointee steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing early showing last fall.
Recently, the company's top executive a key figure informed employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had revealed the necessity for a clearer game identity.
Ismailer expressed that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to better meet player expectations.
A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment
This announcement echoes a similar move taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock development group.
Below is the entire text from the president's memo:
Hello Everyone—
I know you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and creative developers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to persist.”
Through your commitment and versatility, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.
The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It validated the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the necessity for a clearer vision.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the feedback to mind and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s ready to achieve its ambition to our fans.
The trust in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To further the incredible progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce the new hire as the incoming Studio Head of the team. Following some time of conversations, Ben starts with us on the specified date.
Ben’s guidance and expertise in the PVP shooter field is vast, having dedicated the past decade and a half producing and leading some of the most popular franchises in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.
Let’s together in receiving him next week. We are all looking forward to continue seeing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the months to come.
The President
Background of the New Head
The appointee currently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Game Details and Concept
The upcoming game was revealed in last year alongside a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union described the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting step forward on the style."
"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 description reads. "Face the opponents with unique powers, risks, and challenges that shift every session. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and pray your team can achieve the highest spot? The decision is yours."
Project Ethos lacks an official release date or platforms, but enthusiasts can anticipate more updates as development progresses.
