The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.
Management Shift Follows Poor Feedback
Brinkman steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster early showing last fall.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed staff about this strategic move through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had indicated the need for a clearer game identity.
Ismailer noted that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a revised approach, aiming to address gamer demands.
A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment
The news follows a comparable action taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock development group.
Here is the entire content from Ismailer's communication:
Dear Team—
I understand you all just completed your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a note, I stated the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented designers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to persist.”
Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.
The community feedback from last autumn’s the game testing phase was informative. It validated the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the necessity for a clearer identity.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the criticism to heart and overhauled Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s positioned to achieve its promise to our audience.
The belief in this project strengthens every day. To advance the incredible advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. After several months of discussions, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.
Ben’s management and background in the PVP shooter field is considerable, having dedicated the last 15 years developing and overseeing some of the most well-known titles in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.
Please join me in receiving Ben soon. We are all looking forward to continue observing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.
David
Experience of the New Head
Brinkman presently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously was employed at major gaming companies in various development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had periods at other industry leaders.
Game Details and Concept
Project Ethos was announced in last year in conjunction with a public demo. Then, the developers portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling advancement on the genre."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch explains. "Challenge the opponents with fresh skills, challenges, and challenges that evolve every session. Do you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively go big, risk it all, and hope your group can achieve the highest spot? The choice is up to you."
The game does not have an announced launch window or platforms, but players can anticipate more updates as production advances.
