🔗 Share this article

The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Comes After Lukewarm Response

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing early showing last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed team members about this decision through an internal memo, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had shown the need for a distinct direction.

The president expressed that the developers is now reimagining the project with a refreshed focus, aiming to better meet player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

The news follows a similar step taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock development group.

Here is the full text from Ismailer's communication:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented creators we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to persist.”

Given your hard work and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was revealing. It affirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had refinements needed. It revealed the requirement for a sharper identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the criticism to mind and overhauled the title with a renewed goal - one that’s poised to achieve its promise to our fans.

The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To further the incredible progress you’ve made, I’m excited to announce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Director of the team. After some time of conversations, Ben officially joins us on next week.

His leadership and background in the PVP shooter genre is extensive, having devoted the last 15 years creating and overseeing some of the most well-known franchises in gaming, for example the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all excited to keep witnessing the progress of the game in the weeks to follow.

David

Experience of the New Leader

Brinkman presently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. Then, the developers portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch states. "Take on the opponents with new abilities, challenges, and tests that change every round. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively go big, put it on the line, and hope your group can achieve the highest spot? The decision is in your hands."

The game lacks an official debut schedule or supported systems, but enthusiasts can expect further news as production advances.