The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.
Leadership Change Comes After Poor Response
The new appointee assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster initial reveal last autumn.
Recently, the company's top executive a key figure informed staff about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had revealed the necessity for a more defined vision.
Ismailer expressed that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to satisfy player expectations.
A Pattern of Key Hires
This announcement mirrors a similar action taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Below is the full message from the president's communication:
Team—
I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a update, I stated the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and creative creators we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re eager for that relationship to continue.”
With your dedication and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.
The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It validated the appeal of a action-packed game but made clear we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the necessity for a more distinct brand.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the feedback to mind and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s positioned to fulfill its promise to our fans.
The trust in this project increases every day. To further the remarkable development you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome Ben Brinkman as the latest Director of the team. After a period of conversations, he starts with us on Monday, October 20.
His management and expertise in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having dedicated the past decade and a half producing and leading some of the most recognizable titles in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and lately, Apex Legends.
Please join me in receiving him in the coming days. We are all eager to persist observing the evolution of the game in the weeks to come.
David
Experience of the Incoming Leader
The appointee presently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Information and Vision
Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 together with a early access event. At the time, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward on the style."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the official summary explains. "Challenge the opponents with new abilities, challenges, and obstacles that shift every match. Do you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Or aim high, risk it all, and pray your team can earn top ranking? The decision is yours."
Project Ethos lacks an official launch window or supported systems, but players can expect further news as production advances.
