The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.
Leadership Transition Comes After Lukewarm Feedback
Brinkman assumes the role of studio head at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster early showing last autumn.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure informed team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had indicated the requirement for a more defined direction.
Ismailer expressed that the team is now refining the project with a renewed approach, aiming to satisfy player expectations.
A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions
This announcement follows a comparable action taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Below is the entire content from the president's memo:
Dear Team—
I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a update, I expressed the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most driven and innovative creators we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to endure.”
Through your commitment and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.
The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was revealing. It validated the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the requirement for a sharper identity.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the feedback to heart and overhauled the title with a renewed vision - one that’s poised to fulfill its ambition to our players.
Our confidence in this project grows every day. To advance the incredible advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce Ben Brinkman as the new Studio Head of the team. Following some time of talks, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.
Ben’s guidance and expertise in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having spent the past decade and a half producing and overseeing some of the most well-known titles in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.
Please join me in welcoming him in the coming days. We are all looking forward to persist observing the progress of the game in the time to come.
The President
Experience of the Incoming Leader
Brinkman presently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in various development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.
Game Details and Concept
The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 alongside a public demo. At the time, 31st Union described the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling 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 match your preferred approach," the description explains. "Challenge the opponents with new abilities, risks, and challenges that shift every session. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively aim high, put it on the line, and trust your team can earn top ranking? The option is up to you."
Project Ethos has not yet received an announced release date or supported systems, but fans can look forward to additional details as production advances.
