The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Transition Follows Poor Response
Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last autumn.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure notified employees about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had revealed the requirement for a more defined game identity.
Ismailer expressed that the team is now reimagining the project with a renewed vision, aiming to satisfy player expectations.
Trend of Strategic Acquisitions
This announcement echoes a similar move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the complete text from the president's communication:
Dear Team—
I understand you all just finished your town hall - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Previously I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative designers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to persist.”
With your dedication and versatility, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.
The player input from last fall’s the game testing phase was informative. It affirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had work to do. It revealed the necessity for a clearer vision.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the feedback to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s positioned to deliver on its potential to our audience.
The belief in this project increases every day. To further the incredible development you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce the new hire as the incoming Director of the team. After some time of talks, he comes aboard us on next week.
His guidance and experience in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having spent the last 15 years producing and leading some of the most well-known titles in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.
Please join me in receiving him in the coming days. We are all excited to continue seeing the development of the game in the time to follow.
David
Background of the Incoming Leader
The appointee currently holds the role of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at major gaming companies in various production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had periods at other industry leaders.
Game Information and Concept
The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative advancement 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 suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch reads. "Face the opponents with new abilities, challenges, and challenges that shift every session. Will you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Alternatively go big, risk it all, and pray your group can secure victory? The choice is up to you."
Project Ethos does not have an announced release date or platforms, but fans can anticipate more updates as development continues.
