🔗 Share this article

The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Shift Comes After Mixed Reception

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming early showing last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure notified team members about this organizational change through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had revealed the need for a distinct game identity.

Ismailer expressed that the team is now overhauling the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to better meet community desires.

A Pattern of Key Acquisitions

This announcement echoes a comparable action taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the complete message from Ismailer's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a note, I stated the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative developers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re excited for that relationship to endure.”

Given your hard work and versatility, especially over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game playtest was informative. It validated the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It revealed the necessity for a clearer identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the feedback to mind and overhauled the title with a renewed direction - one that’s positioned to achieve its promise to our audience.

The belief in this project strengthens every day. To boost the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Director of the team. After a period of discussions, he comes aboard us on the specified date.

His leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter field is extensive, having spent the last 15 years creating and leading some of the most popular titles in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in receiving Ben next week. We are all looking forward to persist witnessing the evolution of the game in the weeks to follow.

David

Background of the New Leader

Brinkman presently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Concept

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 alongside a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union presented the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch states. "Challenge the competition with unique powers, stakes, and challenges that shift every session. Do you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and pray your team can secure victory? The choice is in your hands."

Project Ethos lacks an announced release date or supported systems, but enthusiasts can anticipate additional details as development advances.