🔗 Share this article

The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Change Comes After Lukewarm Reception

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure informed employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had indicated the need for a distinct direction.

Ismailer expressed that the team is now overhauling the project with a revised focus, aiming to address gamer demands.

A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions

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

Here is the full message from Ismailer's announcement:

Team—

I understand you all just completed your town hall - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a note, I stated the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and creative developers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re eager for that partnership to persist.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last fall’s the game playtest was enlightening. It validated the appeal of a action-packed game but made clear we still had work to do. It highlighted the requirement for a clearer vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the feedback to mind and revamped the title with a revitalized direction - one that’s poised to achieve its ambition to our players.

The trust in this project increases every day. To further the remarkable development you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Lead of the team. After some time of talks, Ben officially joins us on next week.

Ben’s management and expertise in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having devoted the recent years developing and managing some of the most recognizable franchises in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in greeting Ben soon. We are all looking forward to continue witnessing the development of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Leader

The appointee currently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier worked at major gaming companies in various production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in last year in conjunction with a public demo. Then, the developers described the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling step forward on the style."

"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 explains. "Face the rivals with new abilities, risks, and challenges that shift every round. Do you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Or go big, gamble everything, and hope your team can achieve the highest spot? The choice is yours."

The game has not yet received an official launch window or supported systems, but fans can anticipate further news as production advances.