The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Transition Comes After Poor Reception
Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last autumn.
Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had indicated the necessity for a distinct vision.
Ismailer noted that the developers is now overhauling the project with a revised approach, aiming to better meet player expectations.
A Pattern of Key Acquisitions
This announcement follows a similar action taken by the publisher in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock development group.
Here is the full text from Ismailer's announcement:
Dear Team—
I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. 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 dedicated and creative designers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to persist.”
With your dedication and flexibility, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.
The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was revealing. It validated the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the necessity for a more distinct identity.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the feedback to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a revitalized direction - one that’s poised to fulfill its promise to our audience.
The belief in this project increases every day. To further the remarkable progress you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce the new hire as the new Studio Head of the team. After some time of conversations, Ben comes aboard us on the specified date.
His guidance and experience in the competitive gaming genre is extensive, having dedicated the past decade and a half producing and managing some of the most well-known series in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.
Please join me in welcoming him in the coming days. We are all eager to persist observing the development of the game in the weeks to come.
The President
Background of the New Head
Brinkman presently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had periods at other industry leaders.
Title Details and Vision
The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 together with a early access event. Initially, 31st Union described the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative step forward on the genre."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary states. "Take on the competition with fresh skills, risks, and tests that change every session. Do you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and trust your squad can secure victory? The option is yours."
Project Ethos has not yet received an confirmed debut schedule or supported systems, but fans can anticipate further news as creation continues.
