🔗 Share this article

The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Comes After Lukewarm Reception

The new appointee assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing early showing last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure notified employees about this decision through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had shown the necessity for a clearer game identity.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to better meet community desires.

A Pattern of Key Acquisitions

The news mirrors a comparable step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire message from Ismailer's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative developers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re eager for that relationship to endure.”

With your dedication and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It validated the appeal of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the need for a more distinct brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You took the feedback to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a revitalized 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 am thrilled to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Studio Head of the team. Following several months of talks, Ben comes aboard us on next week.

His leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter field is vast, having devoted the last 15 years producing and managing some of the most popular franchises in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in greeting Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to persist observing the evolution of the game in the months to ahead.

David

Experience of the New Head

The appointee currently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 in conjunction with a community playtest. Then, 31st Union described the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting step forward on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch states. "Face the opponents with new abilities, risks, and obstacles that shift every match. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Or aim high, put it on the line, and hope your team can achieve the highest spot? The choice is in your hands."

The game has not yet received an announced debut schedule or platforms, but enthusiasts can anticipate further news as production advances.