The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Shift Follows Lukewarm Feedback
The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing early showing last fall.
Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the requirement for a distinct game identity.
The president stated that the team is now refining the project with a refreshed vision, aiming to better meet community desires.
A Pattern of Strategic Hires
The news follows a similar action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise development group.
Below is the complete content from Ismailer's memo:
Dear Team—
I understand you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented creators we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re eager for that relationship to endure.”
Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.
The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was revealing. It validated the promise of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the need for a clearer identity.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the input to heart and overhauled Project ETHOS with a revitalized vision - one that’s positioned to achieve its ambition to our audience.
The belief in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the incredible development you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. Following some time of discussions, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.
Ben’s guidance and background in the PVP shooter genre is extensive, having spent the recent years producing and managing some of the most popular titles in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.
I invite you all in welcoming Ben next week. We are all excited to continue observing the development of the game in the months to come.
David
Background of the New Head
The appointee presently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, earlier in his career, had periods at other industry leaders.
Title Details and Concept
The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 together with a early access event. Then, the developers presented the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling evolution 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 match your preferred approach," the official summary reads. "Take on the opponents with unique powers, stakes, and obstacles that evolve every session. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and hope your team can achieve the highest spot? The decision is up to you."
The game does not have an announced debut schedule or platforms, but enthusiasts can expect further news as creation advances.
