The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Management Transition Follows Lukewarm Reception
Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing early showing last fall.
Recently, the company's top executive a key figure notified staff about this strategic move through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had revealed the requirement for a more defined game identity.
Ismailer stated that the team is now refining the project with a refreshed focus, aiming to address community desires.
A Pattern of Key Recruitment
The news echoes a comparable action taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock development group.
Here is the complete content from Ismailer's memo:
Dear Team—
I know you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a message, I stated the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and creative developers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to continue.”
With your dedication and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.
The player input from last fall’s the game playtest was revealing. It confirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but indicated we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the necessity for a sharper identity.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the criticism to mind and overhauled Project ETHOS with a revitalized vision - one that’s poised to fulfill its potential to our players.
The trust in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To advance the remarkable development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce the new hire as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. Following some time of conversations, Ben starts with us on the specified date.
His management and experience in the PVP shooter field is considerable, having devoted the past decade and a half producing and overseeing some of the most recognizable titles in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.
Please join me in welcoming him next week. We are all excited to keep observing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the time to follow.
David
Experience of the New Head
Brinkman presently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Details and Vision
The upcoming game was announced in last year alongside a public demo. At the time, the developers presented the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person 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 real-time to match your preferred approach," the description reads. "Challenge the opponents with new abilities, challenges, and challenges that shift every round. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively go big, put it on the line, and hope your squad can achieve the highest spot? The option is in your hands."
Project Ethos has not yet received an announced launch window or supported systems, but players can expect more updates as production advances.
