The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Management Transition Follows Poor Reception
The new appointee steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming unveiling last autumn.
Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated employees about this decision through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had indicated the requirement for a more defined game identity.
Ismailer expressed that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a revised approach, aiming to satisfy player expectations.
A Pattern of Strategic Hires
This announcement mirrors a similar move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the complete text from the president's announcement:
Team—
I know you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Previously I shared you all a message, I stated the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most driven and talented developers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that partnership to endure.”
Through your commitment and adaptability, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.
The gamer responses from last fall’s the game playtest was informative. It affirmed the promise of a action-packed game but made clear we still had improvements to make. It revealed the need for a sharper brand.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the feedback to mind and overhauled Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s poised to achieve its potential to our players.
The trust in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To boost the remarkable development you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome Ben Brinkman as the latest Lead of the team. After some time of talks, he comes aboard us on next week.
His leadership and background in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having dedicated the past decade and a half developing and leading some of the most popular franchises in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.
Please join me in welcoming him next week. We are all looking forward to keep observing the progress of the game in the weeks to come.
David
Background of the Incoming Head
Brinkman presently serves in the role of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.
Title Information and Concept
Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. At the time, 31st Union presented the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the genre."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch explains. "Face the opponents with fresh skills, stakes, and tests that shift every match. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, risk it all, and trust your group can secure victory? The decision is yours."
Project Ethos does not have an confirmed debut schedule or consoles, but enthusiasts can look forward to further news as development progresses.
