The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Leadership Shift Comes After Lukewarm Reception
Brinkman assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster early showing last fall.
Recently, the company's top executive a key figure notified team members about this strategic move through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had indicated the requirement for a more defined game identity.
Ismailer expressed that the team is now reimagining the project with a renewed vision, aiming to satisfy player expectations.
Trend of Key Recruitment
The news mirrors a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock development group.
Here is the entire message from Ismailer's communication:
Dear Team—
I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative designers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to continue.”
Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.
The player input from last autumn’s the game demo was revealing. It confirmed the promise of a action-packed game but made clear we still had work to do. It uncovered the need for a clearer identity.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the input to consideration and reimagined the title with a renewed direction - one that’s ready to achieve its potential to our players.
The trust in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To advance the remarkable progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. After several months of conversations, he comes aboard us on next week.
Ben’s leadership and background in the PVP shooter space is extensive, having devoted the past decade and a half producing and managing some of the most well-known series in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.
I invite you all in receiving him next week. We are all looking forward to persist seeing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to follow.
David
Experience of the Incoming Leader
Brinkman presently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously was employed at major gaming companies in various development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.
Title Details and Vision
The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 alongside a public demo. Then, the developers presented the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting advancement on the category."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the official summary reads. "Challenge the competition with unique powers, challenges, and tests that shift every session. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or aim high, risk it all, and hope your squad can achieve the highest spot? The choice is in your hands."
The game lacks an confirmed debut schedule or supported systems, but players can anticipate additional details as creation progresses.
