The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.
Management Transition Follows Poor Reception
Brinkman takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster initial reveal last fall.
Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated team members about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had revealed the requirement for a more defined vision.
Ismailer noted that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to better meet gamer demands.
A Pattern of Strategic Hires
This announcement echoes a comparable step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock development group.
Here is the complete message from Ismailer's memo:
Hello Everyone—
I know you all just completed your gathering - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and talented developers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that relationship to endure.”
Through your commitment and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.
The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It validated the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had work to do. It revealed the necessity for a more distinct brand.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the criticism to mind and reimagined Project ETHOS with a refreshed direction - one that’s poised to achieve its potential to our fans.
The trust in this project strengthens every day. To boost the incredible progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of the team. Following several months of discussions, Ben starts with us on the specified date.
Ben’s leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having spent the recent years producing and overseeing some of the most popular series in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.
Let’s together in greeting Ben next week. We are all excited to keep witnessing the progress of the game in the time to ahead.
David
Experience of the Incoming Leader
Brinkman currently holds the role of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had assignments at other industry leaders.
Game Information and Concept
Project Ethos was announced in last year together with a early access event. At the time, 31st Union presented the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter 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 fit your unique tactics," the description states. "Take on the rivals with unique powers, risks, and tests that change every match. Will you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Or take a risk, put it on the line, and pray your squad can earn top ranking? The choice is yours."
Project Ethos does not have an announced launch window or supported systems, but enthusiasts can expect additional details as development advances.
