The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Management Change Comes After Mixed Feedback
Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing early showing last fall.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure notified employees about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had indicated the need for a more defined direction.
The president expressed that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to address player expectations.
Trend of Key Acquisitions
The news follows a comparable action taken by 2K Games 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 text from the president's announcement:
Dear Team—
I know you all just finished your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative developers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to continue.”
Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.
The player input from last autumn’s the game playtest was informative. It affirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It revealed the requirement for a sharper brand.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the criticism to heart and reimagined the title with a refreshed direction - one that’s positioned to fulfill its ambition to our audience.
Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To boost the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome the new hire as the incoming Lead of the team. After several months of discussions, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.
His guidance and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having dedicated the recent years developing and leading some of the most recognizable series in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.
Let’s together in welcoming Ben next week. We are all excited to persist witnessing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the weeks to come.
The President
Background of the New Head
Brinkman presently holds the position of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Game Information and Concept
Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 alongside a community playtest. Initially, the developers portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative evolution on the category."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the description reads. "Face the competition with new abilities, stakes, and obstacles that change every round. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively aim high, gamble everything, and pray your squad can achieve the highest spot? The choice is up to you."
Project Ethos lacks an official debut schedule or supported systems, but players can look forward to further news as production progresses.
