🔗 Share this article

The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Change Comes After Poor Feedback

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster initial reveal last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure notified employees about this decision through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had indicated the need for a more defined vision.

The president noted that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to better meet player expectations.

Trend of Key Recruitment

The news mirrors a similar action taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the complete message from the president's communication:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just finished your town hall - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a update, I stated the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and talented creators we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to persist.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It validated the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the need for a clearer brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the criticism to mind and revamped Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s positioned to fulfill its potential to our players.

The trust in this project increases every day. To further the outstanding development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Director of the team. After a period of talks, Ben starts with us on next week.

His guidance and experience in the competitive gaming space is vast, having devoted the recent years producing and overseeing some of the most well-known titles in gaming, for example the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in receiving him next week. We are all eager to continue seeing the progress of the game in the months to come.

David

Experience of the New Head

The appointee presently serves in the role of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously worked at major gaming companies in various production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. Initially, 31st Union presented the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting step forward on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the description states. "Challenge the competition with fresh skills, challenges, and tests that shift every round. Do you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Or aim high, gamble everything, and trust your group can achieve the highest spot? The choice is yours."

Project Ethos has not yet received an official launch window or consoles, but enthusiasts can look forward to additional details as production advances.