The Gaming Giant Hires Apex Legends Lead to Revitalize Struggling Hero Shooter Ambitious Title

The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Follows Poor Reception

Brinkman assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster early showing last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure notified employees about this decision through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the need for a clearer direction.

The president noted that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a refreshed focus, aiming to address gamer demands.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

The news echoes a comparable action taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the full text from Ismailer's announcement:

Team—

I understand you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Previously I shared you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative designers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to continue.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It affirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the need for a clearer brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the feedback to heart and reimagined Project ETHOS with a revitalized goal - one that’s positioned to achieve its potential to our audience.

The trust in this project increases every day. To advance the outstanding advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce the new hire as the new Director of 31st Union. After some time of talks, Ben comes aboard us on next week.

His leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming space is vast, having dedicated the past decade and a half creating and leading some of the most recognizable series in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in receiving Ben soon. We are all eager to persist seeing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to ahead.

The President

Background of the New Head

Brinkman presently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in last year in conjunction with a public demo. At the time, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting advancement on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the description explains. "Face the opponents with new abilities, challenges, and obstacles that evolve every match. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Or aim high, risk it all, and trust your team can earn top ranking? The decision is up to you."

Project Ethos has not yet received an announced debut schedule or supported systems, but players can look forward to further news as creation continues.