🔗 Share this article

The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Management Transition Comes After Poor Reception

Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's disappointing initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified staff about this decision through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a more defined game identity.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now reimagining the project with a refreshed vision, aiming to address player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

The news echoes a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire message from Ismailer's communication:

Team—

I know you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative creators we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that relationship to continue.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was revealing. It validated the promise of a action-packed game but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the necessity for a more distinct vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the input to consideration and overhauled the title with a renewed goal - one that’s positioned to achieve its ambition to our audience.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To further the outstanding progress you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. After several months of conversations, he officially joins us on next week.

His guidance and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having dedicated the recent years creating and managing some of the most recognizable series in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in greeting Ben soon. We are all looking forward to keep witnessing the development of the game in the weeks to follow.

David

Experience of the Incoming Leader

The appointee currently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in last year together with a early access event. Initially, 31st Union described the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective 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 real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the description explains. "Take on the opponents with new abilities, stakes, and challenges that evolve every round. Will you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Or go big, risk it all, and pray your team can secure victory? The choice is yours."

Project Ethos does not have an announced debut schedule or platforms, but players can expect additional details as creation advances.