The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Transition Comes After Poor Reception
The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head 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 notified employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had revealed the need for a more defined vision.
Ismailer expressed that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a refreshed vision, aiming to address player expectations.
A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions
This announcement follows a similar action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise development group.
Here is the entire text from the president's announcement:
Hello Everyone—
I know you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and talented developers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re eager for that partnership to persist.”
Through your commitment and adaptability, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.
The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was revealing. It confirmed the promise of a action-packed game but made clear we still had work to do. It highlighted the need for a sharper brand.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You took the criticism to heart and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s poised to fulfill its promise to our fans.
The belief in this project increases every day. To boost the remarkable development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome Ben Brinkman as the latest Lead of 31st Union. Following several months of talks, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.
Ben’s management and experience in the competitive gaming space is vast, having dedicated the last 15 years creating and leading some of the most popular series in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.
Let’s together in welcoming him in the coming days. We are all eager to continue observing the evolution of the game in the months to follow.
David
Experience of the New Leader
The appointee presently holds the position of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.
Game Details and Vision
Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 together with a community playtest. Then, the developers described the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling advancement on the category."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the official summary reads. "Challenge the rivals with unique powers, stakes, and obstacles that shift every session. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or aim high, put it on the line, and hope your squad can secure victory? The choice is yours."
Project Ethos does not have an confirmed launch window or consoles, but fans can expect more updates as creation advances.
