The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Management Change Comes After Mixed Feedback
Brinkman takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming unveiling last fall.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure updated team members about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a more defined game identity.
Ismailer noted that the team is now reimagining the project with a revised vision, aiming to better meet community desires.
Trend of Key Recruitment
The news echoes a comparable move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.
Below is the full message from Ismailer's announcement:
Dear Team—
I know you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a update, I stated the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative developers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re eager for that relationship to continue.”
With your dedication and versatility, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.
The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It validated the promise of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It revealed the necessity for a sharper identity.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the input to mind and reimagined Project ETHOS with a refreshed direction - one that’s positioned to achieve its promise to our players.
The trust in this project grows every day. To further the incredible development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. Following a period of conversations, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.
Ben’s leadership and background in the competitive gaming field is considerable, having spent the last 15 years producing and managing some of the most well-known series in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.
Let’s together in greeting him soon. We are all looking forward to keep observing the progress of Project ETHOS in the weeks to ahead.
David
Background of the Incoming Leader
The appointee presently serves in the role of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.
Title Details and Concept
Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a early access event. At the time, the developers portrayed the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative evolution on the category."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the description explains. "Take on the opponents with fresh skills, challenges, and challenges that shift every round. Will you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, put it on the line, and pray your group can earn top ranking? The decision is yours."
The game lacks an confirmed launch window or supported systems, but players can look forward to additional details as development advances.
