The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.
Leadership Transition Follows Poor Reception
Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming early showing last fall.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure informed employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had revealed the requirement for a more defined vision.
Ismailer noted that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a revised approach, aiming to address player expectations.
A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment
This announcement echoes a similar step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise development group.
Below is the full content from the president's announcement:
Team—
I understand you all just finished your meeting - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a message, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative designers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to continue.”
Given your hard work and versatility, particularly over the last year, you repeatedly show that.
The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It affirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the requirement for a sharper vision.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You took the feedback to consideration and revamped the title with a renewed vision - one that’s ready to achieve its promise to our audience.
The trust in Project ETHOS grows every day. To boost the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the latest Lead of 31st Union. After a period of talks, he comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.
His management and background in the competitive gaming space is vast, having spent the past decade and a half producing and leading some of the most recognizable franchises in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.
Please join me in greeting Ben next week. We are all eager to keep observing the development of Project ETHOS in the weeks to come.
David
Experience of the Incoming Head
Brinkman presently serves in the role of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier was employed at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Information and Concept
Project Ethos was announced in last year alongside a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union described the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative advancement on the genre."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the description reads. "Take on the rivals with new abilities, stakes, and challenges that evolve every session. Do you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, risk it all, and pray your group can achieve the highest spot? The option is up to you."
Project Ethos lacks an announced launch window or supported systems, but players can expect additional details as development continues.
