The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Leadership Transition Follows Poor Response
Brinkman assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last fall.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure informed team members about this strategic move through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had indicated the need for a clearer direction.
The president expressed that the team is now overhauling the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to satisfy player expectations.
A Pattern of Strategic Hires
This announcement mirrors a comparable step taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.
Below is the full message from Ismailer's announcement:
Dear Team—
I understand you all just completed your gathering - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented developers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to continue.”
Through your commitment and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.
The player input from last autumn’s the game demo was enlightening. It validated the promise of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the necessity for a more distinct vision.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the input to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a refreshed vision - one that’s positioned to deliver on its promise to our audience.
Our confidence in this project grows every day. To boost the incredible progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. After several months of conversations, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.
His leadership and background in the competitive gaming space is considerable, having devoted the past decade and a half producing and overseeing some of the most well-known titles in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and lately, Apex Legends.
Please join me in greeting Ben soon. We are all eager to continue observing the evolution of the game in the months to ahead.
David
Experience of the Incoming Head
The appointee currently holds the role of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Information and Vision
Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. At the time, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting step forward on the category."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary reads. "Face the competition with unique powers, stakes, and challenges that evolve every round. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively aim high, gamble everything, and pray your team can achieve the highest spot? The option is in your hands."
Project Ethos does not have an official debut schedule or consoles, but players can look forward to more updates as production advances.
