🔗 Share this article

The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Shift Follows Lukewarm Feedback

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing early showing last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had revealed the requirement for a clearer game identity.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to satisfy community desires.

A Pattern of Key Hires

The news echoes a comparable move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the full content from Ismailer's announcement:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just completed your gathering - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and talented developers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to continue.”

With your dedication and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last autumn’s the game testing phase was informative. It affirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It revealed the need for a sharper vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the input to mind and overhauled Project ETHOS with a revitalized vision - one that’s ready to achieve its potential to our fans.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS increases every day. To advance the incredible progress you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome the new hire as the new Studio Head of the team. After some time of conversations, Ben starts with us on the specified date.

His guidance and experience in the competitive gaming genre is extensive, having dedicated the last 15 years creating and leading some of the most recognizable franchises in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in receiving him soon. We are all excited to keep observing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the months to follow.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman currently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Concept

The upcoming game was revealed in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. At the time, the developers described the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the official summary explains. "Challenge the rivals with new abilities, stakes, and obstacles that evolve every match. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, risk it all, and trust your squad can achieve the highest spot? The choice is yours."

The game has not yet received an announced launch window or consoles, but players can expect additional details as production continues.