The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Change Comes After Mixed Response
The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last autumn.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure notified team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had indicated the necessity for a distinct direction.
Ismailer noted that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed vision, aiming to better meet player expectations.
Trend of Strategic Recruitment
This announcement follows a comparable move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the full text from Ismailer's communication:
Hello Everyone—
I know you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a update, I stated the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative creators we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to continue.”
Through your commitment and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.
The player input from last fall’s the game demo was enlightening. It confirmed the promise of a action-packed game but made clear we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the need for a clearer identity.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the feedback to heart and overhauled Project ETHOS with a revitalized direction - one that’s ready to deliver on its promise to our fans.
The belief in this project grows every day. To advance the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Director of 31st Union. After some time of discussions, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.
His leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having dedicated the recent years creating and leading some of the most well-known franchises in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.
Let’s together in welcoming Ben soon. We are all looking forward to persist observing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the time to follow.
The President
Experience of the New Leader
Brinkman currently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Information and Vision
The upcoming game was announced in last year alongside a public demo. Initially, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward on the category."
"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 description reads. "Face the opponents with new abilities, risks, and challenges that change every match. Do you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and hope your squad can secure victory? The decision is in your hands."
The game lacks an confirmed debut schedule or supported systems, but fans can look forward to further news as creation advances.
