🔗 Share this article

The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the forthcoming third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Management Change Follows Lukewarm Response

Brinkman assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster early showing last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure updated staff about this strategic move through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had revealed the necessity for a distinct game identity.

Ismailer expressed that the team is now reimagining the project with a refreshed vision, aiming to address player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

The news follows a comparable action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the full message from Ismailer's communication:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a note, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative developers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to continue.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The player input from last autumn’s the game testing phase was revealing. It confirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It revealed the requirement for a more distinct brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the criticism to consideration and revamped the title with a renewed goal - one that’s positioned to achieve its promise to our fans.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the remarkable development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the latest Director of the team. Following a period of talks, he officially joins us on next week.

Ben’s management and expertise in the competitive gaming field is extensive, having dedicated the last 15 years producing and managing some of the most well-known series in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in receiving Ben soon. We are all eager to persist seeing the progress of Project ETHOS in the months to follow.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Head

The appointee currently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously worked at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in last year in conjunction with a public demo. Initially, 31st Union presented the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling advancement on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch explains. "Challenge the competition with fresh skills, risks, and tests that evolve every session. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, put it on the line, and trust your squad can earn top ranking? The decision is up to you."

Project Ethos lacks an announced release date or consoles, but enthusiasts can expect further news as creation continues.