🔗 Share this article

The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Shift Comes After Poor Feedback

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure notified staff about this strategic move through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the need for a clearer direction.

The president noted that the developers is now refining the project with a renewed vision, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Hires

This announcement follows a similar action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the BioShock development group.

Below is the full message from the president's memo:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just finished your town hall - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a note, I stated the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative developers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to persist.”

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

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It validated the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the requirement for a clearer identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the input to mind and overhauled the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s ready to fulfill its promise to our fans.

The belief in this project grows every day. To boost the incredible advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome the new hire as the latest Lead of 31st Union. Following several months of talks, Ben starts with us on the specified date.

His management and background in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having devoted the last 15 years creating and leading some of the most popular franchises in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in welcoming him next week. We are all excited to persist seeing the progress of Project ETHOS in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Experience of the New Leader

The appointee presently holds the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at major gaming companies in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 in conjunction with a early access event. Then, the developers portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling step forward 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 states. "Take on the opponents with new abilities, stakes, and challenges that evolve every round. Do you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Alternatively go big, put it on the line, and trust your squad can secure victory? The option is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an confirmed launch window or supported systems, but fans can anticipate more updates as creation progresses.