The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.
Management Transition Follows Lukewarm Reception
Brinkman steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster early showing last autumn.
Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed team members about this decision through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had indicated the need for a distinct direction.
Ismailer stated that the developers is now refining the project with a revised vision, aiming to address gamer demands.
Trend of Key Hires
This announcement echoes a similar move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.
Below is the entire message from Ismailer's announcement:
Dear Team—
I understand you all just finished your town hall - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a update, I stated the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative designers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to persist.”
Given your hard work and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.
The community feedback from last fall’s the game demo was revealing. It validated the promise of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the requirement for a more distinct identity.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the feedback to consideration and revamped the title with a renewed direction - one that’s positioned to fulfill its ambition to our fans.
The trust in this project increases every day. To further the remarkable advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce the new hire as the latest Director of 31st Union. After several months of discussions, Ben officially joins us on next week.
His management and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having spent the last 15 years developing and leading some of the most popular titles in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.
Please join me in greeting Ben next week. We are all excited to continue witnessing the progress of Project ETHOS in the time to ahead.
David
Experience of the New Head
The appointee currently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had stints at other industry leaders.
Title Details and Concept
Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 alongside a public demo. Then, the developers described the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting advancement on the genre."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch reads. "Challenge the opponents with unique powers, challenges, and obstacles that shift every round. Do you leave securely with your collected items? Alternatively aim high, put it on the line, and pray your group can earn top ranking? The option is yours."
The game has not yet received an confirmed launch window or supported systems, but players can anticipate more updates as development advances.
