The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Shift Follows Poor Response
Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming early showing last fall.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the requirement for a distinct direction.
The president expressed that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.
Trend of Key Hires
This announcement follows a similar action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise development group.
Below is the complete text from Ismailer's announcement:
Dear Team—
I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a update, I stated the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and creative developers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re eager for that partnership to persist.”
Through your commitment and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.
The community feedback from last fall’s the game demo was informative. It validated the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the requirement for a clearer identity.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the criticism to mind and reimagined Project ETHOS with a revitalized goal - one that’s poised to deliver on its ambition to our fans.
The trust in this project strengthens every day. To boost the outstanding progress you’ve made, I’m excited to announce the new hire as the new Director of the team. Following a period of conversations, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.
Ben’s management and background in the PVP shooter space is vast, having devoted the past decade and a half developing and overseeing some of the most well-known franchises in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.
Let’s together in greeting him in the coming days. We are all eager to persist observing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the time to come.
David
Experience of the New Head
The appointee presently serves in the position of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had assignments at other industry leaders.
Game Details and Concept
Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. Then, the developers described the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the style."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch states. "Take on the rivals with fresh skills, challenges, and tests that shift every round. Will you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and trust your team can earn top ranking? The option is yours."
Project Ethos lacks an announced debut schedule or supported systems, but enthusiasts can expect additional details as development advances.
