The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Change Comes After Mixed Feedback
Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's disappointing early showing last autumn.
Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had revealed the requirement for a more defined direction.
The president expressed that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a revised approach, aiming to better meet player expectations.
A Pattern of Key Hires
This announcement mirrors a comparable step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the BioShock development group.
Here is the entire message from Ismailer's communication:
Dear Team—
I know you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative developers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to persist.”
Through your commitment and versatility, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.
The community feedback from last fall’s the game playtest was informative. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but made clear we still had work to do. It uncovered the requirement for a clearer brand.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the input to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a revitalized goal - one that’s poised to fulfill its promise to our fans.
Our confidence in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To further the remarkable development you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of 31st Union. Following a period of conversations, he officially joins us on the specified date.
Ben’s guidance and experience in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having spent the recent years creating and leading some of the most recognizable series in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.
I invite you all in welcoming him next week. We are all excited to keep observing the development of the game in the months to come.
David
Experience of the New Leader
The appointee presently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously was employed at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, earlier in his career, had periods at other industry leaders.
Game Details and Vision
Project Ethos was unveiled in last year alongside a early access event. Initially, 31st Union presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward on the genre."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the description explains. "Face the opponents with unique powers, risks, and obstacles that evolve every session. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or aim high, risk it all, and hope your squad can secure victory? The choice is yours."
Project Ethos does not have an official debut schedule or consoles, but players can look forward to more updates as development continues.
