The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.
Management Change Comes After Mixed Response
Brinkman steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster initial reveal last autumn.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure informed team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had revealed the requirement for a more defined vision.
Ismailer stated that the developers is now reimagining the project with a refreshed vision, aiming to better meet community desires.
A Pattern of Strategic Hires
The news mirrors a similar move taken by the publisher in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Below is the full text from Ismailer's announcement:
Hello Everyone—
I understand you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a message, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative designers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re excited for that relationship to persist.”
Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.
The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was revealing. It confirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had work to do. It uncovered the necessity for a clearer vision.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the criticism to heart and reimagined Project ETHOS with a refreshed vision - one that’s poised to achieve its promise to our fans.
Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To further the incredible progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. After several months of discussions, he officially joins us on next week.
Ben’s leadership and experience in the competitive gaming space is extensive, having spent the past decade and a half producing and overseeing some of the most well-known titles in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.
Let’s together in welcoming Ben soon. We are all excited to persist witnessing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to ahead.
The President
Experience of the Incoming Head
The appointee currently holds the role of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in various production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had assignments at other industry leaders.
Title Details and Concept
The upcoming game was announced in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. Initially, the developers presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting 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 official summary reads. "Challenge the opponents with fresh skills, risks, and obstacles that change every session. Will you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Alternatively take a risk, gamble everything, and pray your team can secure victory? The choice is yours."
Project Ethos has not yet received an official debut schedule or consoles, but players can look forward to more updates as creation progresses.
