The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.
Management Change Comes After Lukewarm Reception
The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing unveiling last fall.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure updated employees about this decision through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had shown the need for a more defined direction.
The president stated that the team is now refining the project with a revised focus, aiming to better meet community desires.
A Pattern of Key Recruitment
This announcement echoes a similar move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock development group.
Below is the full content from Ismailer's announcement:
Team—
I know you all just finished your meeting - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and talented designers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to continue.”
With your dedication and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.
The community feedback from last fall’s the game demo was revealing. It affirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had work to do. It highlighted the necessity for a sharper brand.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the feedback to heart and overhauled Project ETHOS with a revitalized direction - one that’s ready to achieve its potential to our fans.
The trust in this project strengthens every day. To further the outstanding progress you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of the team. Following a period of conversations, he officially joins us on next week.
Ben’s leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming space is considerable, having dedicated the past decade and a half developing and overseeing some of the most well-known titles in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.
Please join me in receiving him next week. We are all looking forward to persist observing the progress of Project ETHOS in the time to come.
The President
Experience of the New Leader
The appointee presently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier worked at major gaming companies in various development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Information and Concept
The upcoming game was unveiled in last year alongside a community playtest. Then, the developers described the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling evolution on the style."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the official summary explains. "Face the competition with new abilities, challenges, and obstacles that change every session. Will you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Alternatively go big, put it on the line, and hope your group can secure victory? The option is yours."
The game lacks an confirmed debut schedule or supported systems, but fans can expect further news as production advances.
