The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the anticipated over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.
Leadership Transition Comes After Mixed Feedback
The new appointee steps into 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' disappointing early showing last autumn.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure notified staff about this decision through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had revealed the requirement for a distinct vision.
The president expressed that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to address player expectations.
Trend of Key Acquisitions
This announcement mirrors a comparable move taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock development group.
Below is the full content from the president's memo:
Team—
I know you all just completed your town hall - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and creative creators we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re excited for that relationship to persist.”
With your dedication and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.
The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was revealing. It confirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It revealed the need for a sharper brand.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the input to mind and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s ready to achieve its potential to our fans.
The trust in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To advance the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce the new hire as the incoming Lead of the team. Following some time of talks, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.
His leadership and background in the competitive gaming genre is considerable, having devoted the past decade and a half creating and overseeing some of the most well-known titles in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.
Let’s together in greeting Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to continue observing the evolution of the game in the months to follow.
The President
Background of the Incoming Leader
Brinkman presently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.
Title Details and Concept
The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 together with a community playtest. Initially, the developers presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward on the genre."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch states. "Take on the opponents with new abilities, challenges, and tests that change every match. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Or go big, risk it all, and hope your group can earn top ranking? The decision is up to you."
The game lacks an announced launch window or supported systems, but enthusiasts can anticipate additional details as creation advances.
