The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Transition Follows Mixed Feedback
The new appointee steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last fall.
Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified staff about this decision through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had indicated the need for a distinct vision.
Ismailer noted that the developers is now refining the project with a renewed approach, aiming to address player expectations.
Trend of Key Recruitment
The news mirrors a similar action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Below is the complete message from Ismailer's memo:
Dear Team—
I know you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time 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 creative designers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re excited for that relationship to endure.”
Through your commitment and flexibility, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.
The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It confirmed the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the requirement for a clearer vision.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the input to heart and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s positioned to deliver on its ambition to our players.
The trust in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To advance the incredible progress you’ve made, I’m excited to announce the new hire as the incoming Director of 31st Union. After a period of talks, he comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.
Ben’s leadership and background in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having dedicated the past decade and a half developing and leading some of the most popular franchises in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.
I invite you all in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all excited to keep observing the evolution of the game in the months to come.
The President
Background of the New Leader
Brinkman currently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.
Title Information and Concept
Project Ethos was revealed in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. Initially, the developers presented the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative evolution on the style."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the description reads. "Challenge the opponents with fresh skills, stakes, and challenges that evolve every match. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively go big, risk it all, and hope your squad can achieve the highest spot? The option is up to you."
Project Ethos lacks an official debut schedule or supported systems, but fans can look forward to additional details as production advances.
