The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Management Shift Comes After Lukewarm Response
Brinkman assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last autumn.
Recently, the company's top executive a key figure informed team members about this strategic move through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had revealed the necessity for a distinct direction.
The president stated that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to address community desires.
A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment
The news echoes a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.
Below is the full message from the president's memo:
Hello Everyone—
I understand you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a note, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and talented developers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to endure.”
With your dedication and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.
The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the need for a more distinct identity.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the feedback to consideration and reimagined the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s positioned to deliver on its ambition to our audience.
The belief in this project strengthens every day. To further the incredible progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. After some time of talks, he starts with us on Monday, October 20.
Ben’s management and background in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having spent the recent years developing and leading some of the most popular series in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.
I invite you all in greeting Ben soon. We are all excited to keep witnessing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to follow.
The President
Background of the New Leader
The appointee currently serves in the position of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had stints at other industry leaders.
Game Details and Vision
Project Ethos was announced in last year together with a early access event. Initially, the developers presented the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting advancement on the style."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the description states. "Take on the opponents with unique powers, risks, and obstacles that change every match. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or go big, gamble everything, and pray your group can achieve the highest spot? The choice is yours."
Project Ethos has not yet received an official launch window or platforms, but enthusiasts can anticipate further news as production advances.