The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.
Management Transition Comes After Poor Response
The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.
Recently, the company's top executive a key figure informed team members about this strategic move through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had indicated the requirement for a more defined direction.
Ismailer stated that the team is now refining the project with a renewed focus, aiming to address player expectations.
Trend of Key Hires
This announcement mirrors a similar 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 development group.
Here is the entire content from the president's memo:
Team—
I know you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a update, I stated the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and creative creators we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re excited for that partnership to persist.”
With your dedication and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.
The community feedback from last autumn’s the game testing phase was revealing. It validated the appeal of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the need for a more distinct vision.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the criticism to mind and reimagined Project ETHOS with a refreshed direction - one that’s positioned to deliver on its potential to our audience.
The trust in this project increases every day. To advance the incredible development you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome the new hire as the incoming Studio Head of the team. Following some time of discussions, he starts with us on Monday, October 20.
Ben’s guidance and background in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having devoted the last 15 years creating and overseeing some of the most well-known titles in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.
Please join me in receiving him soon. We are all looking forward to continue witnessing the evolution of the game in the time to follow.
The President
Experience of the New Leader
The appointee presently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in various development positions 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 October 2024 together with a public demo. Initially, 31st Union described the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward 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 reads. "Take on the competition with new abilities, stakes, and obstacles that shift every round. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, put it on the line, and trust your squad can earn top ranking? The option is up to you."
Project Ethos lacks an official launch window or consoles, but fans can anticipate additional details as production continues.
