🔗 Share this article

The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the anticipated over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Transition Follows Lukewarm Response

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure notified employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had indicated the requirement for a clearer game identity.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

The news echoes a similar action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the entire message from Ismailer's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and innovative designers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to persist.”

With your dedication and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last autumn’s the game playtest was revealing. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the necessity for a sharper vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the feedback to consideration and revamped Project ETHOS with a revitalized vision - one that’s poised to achieve its potential to our players.

The belief in this project grows every day. To boost the incredible progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the new Studio Head of the team. After several months of talks, he comes aboard us on next week.

Ben’s management and background in the competitive gaming field is vast, having devoted the past decade and a half creating and leading some of the most popular franchises in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in greeting Ben in the coming days. We are all excited to keep witnessing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the time to come.

The President

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman currently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 alongside a community playtest. Initially, the developers described the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative evolution on the style."

"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 description explains. "Face the rivals with fresh skills, risks, and tests that evolve every round. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, risk it all, and pray your squad can achieve the highest spot? The decision is up to you."

The game lacks an confirmed release date or platforms, but players can expect more updates as production continues.