The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.
Management Transition Comes After Mixed Response
The new appointee assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster unveiling last fall.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure informed employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had indicated the necessity for a clearer vision.
Ismailer stated that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a refreshed vision, aiming to better meet gamer demands.
Trend of Key Acquisitions
This announcement follows a similar step taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock development group.
Below is the entire content from the president's communication:
Hello Everyone—
I understand you all just completed your town hall - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative developers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to persist.”
With your dedication and versatility, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.
The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was enlightening. It validated the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It revealed the requirement for a sharper identity.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the feedback to heart and overhauled the title with a renewed goal - one that’s ready to fulfill its ambition to our audience.
Our confidence in this project increases every day. To advance the incredible development you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce the new hire as the incoming Studio Head of the team. After some time of talks, Ben comes aboard us on the specified date.
His management and experience in the competitive gaming space is extensive, having dedicated the past decade and a half developing and leading some of the most popular titles in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.
Let’s together in welcoming him in the coming days. We are all eager to persist observing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to follow.
The President
Background of the New Leader
The appointee presently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had stints at other industry leaders.
Title Details and Concept
Project Ethos was revealed in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union described the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward on the category."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the description states. "Challenge the opponents with new abilities, risks, and challenges that shift every session. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Or aim high, risk it all, and pray your squad can achieve the highest spot? The option is in your hands."
The game lacks an official launch window or consoles, but players can anticipate additional details as development continues.
