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 upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Management Transition Follows Poor Feedback
The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster unveiling last autumn.
Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a distinct direction.
The president noted that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a refreshed vision, aiming to better meet gamer demands.
A Pattern of Key Recruitment
This announcement follows a similar step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise development group.
Below is the full text from the president's communication:
Team—
I understand you all just completed your town hall - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a update, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most driven and talented creators we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re excited for that partnership to persist.”
Through your commitment and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.
The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was enlightening. It validated the potential of a action-packed game but made clear we still had work to do. It highlighted the need for a clearer identity.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the criticism to consideration and revamped the title with a revitalized direction - one that’s ready to deliver on its promise to our players.
The trust in this project increases every day. To further the incredible development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome the new hire as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. Following some time of conversations, Ben officially joins us on next week.
His leadership and background in the competitive gaming field is extensive, having dedicated the past decade and a half producing and leading some of the most popular franchises in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.
Please join me in greeting Ben next week. We are all eager to keep observing the evolution of the game in the time to ahead.
The President
Experience of the New Head
Brinkman presently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had periods at other industry leaders.
Title Details and Vision
The upcoming game was unveiled in last year alongside a community playtest. Initially, the developers described the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling evolution on the genre."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the description reads. "Face the rivals with fresh skills, challenges, and obstacles that change every match. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, gamble everything, and pray your group can achieve the highest spot? The decision is up to you."
The game lacks an confirmed release date or platforms, but fans can expect more updates as production continues.
