The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the anticipated over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.
Management Change Comes After Poor Response
Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster early showing last autumn.
Recently, the company's top executive a key figure notified staff about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the need for a more defined game identity.
Ismailer stated that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed approach, aiming to better meet player expectations.
Trend of Strategic Recruitment
The news mirrors a comparable step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Below is the full text from Ismailer's announcement:
Team—
I understand you all just finished your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented designers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to persist.”
Through your commitment and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.
The community feedback from last autumn’s the game testing phase was revealing. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had work to do. It uncovered the necessity for a clearer identity.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the feedback to heart and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s ready to achieve its potential to our players.
The belief in this project grows every day. To boost the remarkable advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Director of 31st Union. Following several months of conversations, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.
His guidance and experience in the competitive gaming genre is considerable, having spent the recent years creating and managing some of the most popular franchises in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.
Let’s together in welcoming Ben soon. We are all eager to persist witnessing the development of the game in the time to ahead.
David
Experience of the Incoming Head
The appointee currently serves in the position of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Details and Vision
The upcoming game was announced in last year in conjunction with a public demo. At the time, 31st Union described the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling step forward on the category."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the official summary reads. "Face the rivals with fresh skills, stakes, and challenges that evolve every round. Will you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively go big, gamble everything, and hope your squad can achieve the highest spot? The choice is up to you."
The game does not have an confirmed debut schedule or platforms, but players can expect additional details as development advances.
