The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Management Change Follows Poor Feedback
The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure notified employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had indicated the need for a clearer game identity.
The president noted that the team is now overhauling the project with a revised focus, aiming to address community desires.
Trend of Key Hires
The news echoes a similar step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.
Below is the entire message from the president's communication:
Hello Everyone—
I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Previously I shared you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most driven and creative designers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to endure.”
With your dedication and adaptability, especially over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.
The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It confirmed the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the necessity for a clearer identity.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You took the input to mind and overhauled the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s ready to fulfill its promise to our fans.
Our confidence in Project ETHOS increases every day. To further the outstanding development you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of the team. Following several months of discussions, Ben comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.
His leadership and background in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having dedicated the recent years creating and leading some of the most recognizable titles in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.
Let’s together in receiving Ben soon. We are all looking forward to keep observing the progress of Project ETHOS in the time to come.
The President
Experience of the New Leader
Brinkman presently serves in the position of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He previously was employed at major gaming companies in various development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Information and Vision
Project Ethos was unveiled in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. At the time, the developers portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling evolution on the genre."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the description explains. "Take on the rivals with new abilities, stakes, and challenges that change every session. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Or go big, put it on the line, and hope your group can achieve the highest spot? The decision is up to you."
Project Ethos has not yet received an announced debut schedule or supported systems, but fans can anticipate more updates as development progresses.
