The Gaming Giant Brings Onboard Popular Battle Royale Developer to Rescue Struggling Hero Shooter Project Ethos

The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Follows Poor Feedback

Brinkman steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's disappointing unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure informed staff about this organizational change through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had indicated the requirement for a clearer vision.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a refreshed focus, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

This announcement follows a similar action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire content from the president's announcement:

Team—

I know you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative designers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to persist.”

Given your hard work and versatility, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had refinements needed. It revealed the necessity for a sharper identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the feedback to mind and revamped Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s poised to fulfill its promise to our fans.

The belief in this project grows every day. To further the remarkable development you’ve made, I’m excited to announce the new hire as the new Director of 31st Union. Following a period of conversations, he officially joins us on the specified date.

Ben’s leadership and background in the competitive gaming field is vast, having spent the past decade and a half creating and managing some of the most popular series in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in greeting him in the coming days. We are all eager to continue seeing the development of the game in the months to follow.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman presently serves in the position of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman previously was employed at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, earlier in his career, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Concept

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. Initially, the developers described the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting advancement on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch states. "Challenge the opponents with new abilities, challenges, and challenges that evolve every session. Do you leave securely with your collected items? Alternatively go big, risk it all, and pray your squad can earn top ranking? The decision is yours."

The game lacks an announced release date or platforms, but fans can anticipate more updates as development advances.