The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Management Transition Comes After Poor Reception
The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated team members about this strategic move through an internal memo, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had indicated the requirement for a clearer game identity.
The president noted that the developers is now reimagining the project with a refreshed focus, aiming to better meet community desires.
Trend of Key Recruitment
This announcement follows a similar step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise development group.
Here is the entire content from Ismailer's memo:
Team—
I know you all just finished your meeting - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a message, I stated the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and talented developers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re excited for that partnership to endure.”
Through your commitment and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.
The community feedback from last fall’s the game testing phase was informative. It confirmed the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had work to do. It uncovered the requirement for a clearer brand.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the feedback to consideration and overhauled the title with a revitalized goal - one that’s positioned to fulfill its ambition to our audience.
The belief in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the incredible advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome the new hire as the new Director of the team. Following some time of conversations, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.
His guidance and background in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having dedicated the recent years creating and managing some of the most recognizable titles in gaming, for example the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.
Please join me in receiving him next week. We are all excited to continue witnessing the progress of the game in the weeks to follow.
David
Experience of the New Head
The appointee presently holds the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously worked at major gaming companies in various development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.
Game Details and Concept
The upcoming game was unveiled in last year together with a early access event. Then, 31st Union described the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting advancement on the genre."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the description states. "Challenge the opponents with unique powers, stakes, and obstacles that change every round. Will you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Or aim high, gamble everything, and trust your team can achieve the highest spot? The option is in your hands."
Project Ethos lacks an announced debut schedule or platforms, but enthusiasts can look forward to more updates as creation progresses.
