The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Leadership Shift Follows Mixed Feedback
Brinkman assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster unveiling last autumn.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure updated team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had revealed the need for a clearer game identity.
The president noted that the team is now overhauling the project with a refreshed focus, aiming to better meet player expectations.
Trend of Strategic Recruitment
The news follows a similar move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.
Below is the complete message from Ismailer's announcement:
Hello Everyone—
I know you all just completed your gathering - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and talented designers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to continue.”
Through your commitment and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.
The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It validated the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the necessity for a clearer brand.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the criticism to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a revitalized direction - one that’s poised to fulfill its ambition to our players.
Our confidence in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To boost the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Lead of the team. After some time of discussions, Ben comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.
Ben’s leadership and experience in the PVP shooter field is extensive, having spent the past decade and a half developing and leading some of the most popular titles in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.
Please join me in receiving him soon. We are all eager to keep witnessing the evolution of the game in the weeks to follow.
David
Background of the New Head
Brinkman currently holds the position of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.
Game Details and Vision
The upcoming game was unveiled in last year in conjunction with a early access event. Initially, the developers portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative advancement on the genre."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary explains. "Take on the rivals with fresh skills, risks, and challenges that shift every match. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, put it on the line, and trust your squad can secure victory? The decision is up to you."
The game lacks an official release date or supported systems, but fans can look forward to additional details as development advances.
