🔗 Share this article

The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Change Comes After Poor Response

The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the requirement for a distinct game identity.

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

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

The news echoes a similar move taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock development group.

Below is the complete text from Ismailer's communication:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just completed your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative creators we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to continue.”

With your dedication and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It affirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the requirement for a more distinct vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the criticism to mind and revamped the title with a refreshed direction - one that’s positioned to deliver on its ambition to our fans.

The trust in this project increases every day. To advance the remarkable progress you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. After several months of discussions, Ben comes aboard us on the specified date.

His management and background in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having devoted the past decade and a half producing and overseeing some of the most well-known series in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in greeting him in the coming days. We are all excited to persist seeing the progress of the game in the months to follow.

David

Background of the New Leader

Brinkman currently holds the position of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Concept

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 alongside a public demo. At the time, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling evolution on the genre."

"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 explains. "Face the competition with fresh skills, challenges, and tests that change every match. Will you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Or go big, risk it all, and hope your group can earn top ranking? The option is in your hands."

Project Ethos lacks an announced release date or platforms, but fans can look forward to more updates as production progresses.