The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Transition Follows Lukewarm Reception
The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last autumn.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had revealed the need for a clearer vision.
Ismailer expressed that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a refreshed vision, aiming to better meet community desires.
Trend of Key Hires
The news echoes a comparable move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise development group.
Below is the entire message from the president's memo:
Dear Team—
I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I trust you’re as enthusiastic 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 dedicated and innovative designers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to endure.”
With your dedication and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.
The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was informative. It affirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but made clear we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the necessity for a clearer brand.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the criticism to heart and revamped the title with a renewed goal - one that’s ready to fulfill its potential to our players.
The belief in this project grows every day. To advance the remarkable development you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. Following a period of discussions, Ben starts with us on next week.
Ben’s leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming space is vast, having spent the past decade and a half creating and overseeing some of the most well-known franchises in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.
Let’s together in receiving him in the coming days. We are all eager to keep witnessing the progress of Project ETHOS in the time to ahead.
The President
Experience of the New Head
The appointee currently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Information and Vision
The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. Initially, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting step forward on the style."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the official summary states. "Take on the rivals with unique powers, risks, and tests that evolve every session. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, gamble everything, and trust your team can earn top ranking? The choice is yours."
Project Ethos has not yet received an announced launch window or platforms, but players can look forward to more updates as development continues.
