The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently working on the forthcoming third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Change Follows Poor Feedback
The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing early showing last fall.
Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified team members about this organizational change through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had revealed the need for a distinct direction.
Ismailer noted that the team is now overhauling the project with a revised approach, aiming to better meet player expectations.
A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment
This announcement echoes a similar action taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the full text from Ismailer's communication:
Team—
I know you all just completed your gathering - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and creative designers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to endure.”
Through your commitment and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.
The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was revealing. It confirmed the promise of a action-packed game but told us we still had work to do. It highlighted the necessity for a clearer vision.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You took the input to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a refreshed direction - one that’s positioned to fulfill its promise to our fans.
The belief in this project grows every day. To advance the incredible development you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome the new hire as the incoming Director of 31st Union. After a period of conversations, he starts with us on Monday, October 20.
Ben’s leadership and experience in the PVP shooter space is vast, having spent the recent years developing and leading some of the most well-known titles in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.
Let’s together in greeting Ben next week. We are all eager to continue seeing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the months to follow.
The President
Experience of the Incoming Head
The appointee currently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously worked at major gaming companies in various production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Information and Concept
The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 together with a public demo. At the time, the developers portrayed the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting evolution on the style."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the official summary reads. "Face the competition with fresh skills, risks, and challenges that change every session. Do you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Or aim high, gamble everything, and trust your squad can earn top ranking? The decision is in your hands."
The game lacks an official debut schedule or consoles, but players can look forward to more updates as production progresses.
