The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the forthcoming third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Change Comes After Poor Reception
Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster initial reveal last fall.
Recently, the company's top executive a key figure informed team members about this organizational change through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the requirement for a clearer direction.
The president noted that the team is now reimagining the project with a renewed vision, aiming to better meet community desires.
A Pattern of Key Recruitment
The news follows a comparable action taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise development group.
Below is the entire message from the president's memo:
Dear Team—
I know you all just wrapped up your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a update, I stated the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and creative developers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to endure.”
Given your hard work and versatility, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.
The gamer responses from last autumn’s the game playtest was enlightening. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the necessity for a sharper identity.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You took the feedback to consideration and overhauled the title with a refreshed direction - one that’s positioned to fulfill its ambition to our players.
The belief in Project ETHOS increases every day. To further the outstanding advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome the new hire as the incoming Lead of the team. Following a period of conversations, he starts with us on Monday, October 20.
His leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter field is considerable, having spent the past decade and a half producing and overseeing some of the most recognizable titles in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.
Let’s together in greeting Ben soon. We are all looking forward to persist observing the evolution of the game in the weeks to come.
David
Background of the Incoming Leader
The appointee currently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.
Game Information and Concept
The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 together with a early access event. Then, the developers described the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative advancement on the genre."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary explains. "Take on the competition with fresh skills, stakes, and tests that change every match. Do you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Or aim high, risk it all, and trust your group 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 additional details as development advances.
