The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Management Change Comes After Mixed Reception
Brinkman steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing early showing last fall.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated employees about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had revealed the need for a clearer game identity.
The president stated that the team is now reimagining the project with a revised vision, aiming to address community desires.
A Pattern of Strategic Hires
The news follows a similar action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock development group.
Here is the complete content from the president's communication:
Team—
I know you all just finished your town hall - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a message, I stated the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative designers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to persist.”
Through your commitment and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you repeatedly show that.
The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was revealing. It affirmed the promise of a action-packed game but made clear we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the need for a clearer vision.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the feedback to heart and overhauled the title with a revitalized direction - one that’s ready to deliver on its ambition to our audience.
The trust in Project ETHOS grows every day. To advance the outstanding progress you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome the new hire as the incoming Director of 31st Union. After a period of discussions, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.
Ben’s management and background in the PVP shooter space is extensive, having devoted the recent years creating and managing some of the most well-known franchises in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.
Let’s together in welcoming him next week. We are all looking forward to continue witnessing the development of the game in the time to follow.
The President
Background of the New Leader
Brinkman currently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had assignments at other industry leaders.
Game Information and Vision
The upcoming game was revealed in last year alongside a community playtest. Initially, the developers portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective 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! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the description explains. "Challenge the rivals with new abilities, challenges, and challenges that change every match. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively go big, put it on the line, and pray your squad can earn top ranking? The option is in your hands."
The game lacks an announced release date or platforms, but fans can anticipate further news as creation continues.