🔗 Share this article

The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Shift Follows Poor Reception

The new appointee steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated employees about this decision through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had revealed the need for a more defined game identity.

The president stated that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed approach, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

Trend of Key Hires

The news follows a similar move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock development group.

Below is the full message from Ismailer's announcement:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Previously I shared you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative designers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to persist.”

With your dedication and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The player input from last fall’s the game testing phase was enlightening. It confirmed the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had work to do. It revealed the need for a sharper brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the feedback to mind and revamped the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s positioned to achieve its promise to our players.

The belief in this project increases every day. To advance the remarkable progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of the team. Following several months of talks, Ben officially joins us on next week.

His leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter space is extensive, having devoted the past decade and a half developing and managing some of the most popular series in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in receiving him next week. We are all excited to continue seeing the evolution of the game in the time to come.

David

Background of the New Head

Brinkman presently holds the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, prior to that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in last year together with a public demo. At the time, the developers portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative evolution on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the description explains. "Take on the opponents with unique powers, stakes, and tests that evolve every match. Will you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Or aim high, gamble everything, and trust your squad can secure victory? The decision is in your hands."

Project Ethos lacks an announced debut schedule or supported systems, but players can look forward to more updates as production continues.