The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Leadership Change Comes After Mixed Reception
Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster unveiling last fall.
Recently, the company's top executive a key figure updated employees about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had revealed the necessity for a more defined direction.
The president noted that the team is now overhauling the project with a revised approach, aiming to better meet player expectations.
Trend of Strategic Hires
This announcement echoes a similar action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.
Below is the complete content from the president's memo:
Dear Team—
I understand you all just wrapped up your gathering - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a message, I stated the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative developers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to continue.”
Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.
The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the necessity for a more distinct identity.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the feedback to heart and overhauled the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s positioned to achieve its potential to our players.
The trust in Project ETHOS grows every day. To further the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to announce the new hire as the latest Lead of the team. After some time of conversations, he starts with us on next week.
Ben’s leadership and experience in the PVP shooter space is extensive, having spent the last 15 years developing and managing some of the most popular series in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.
Let’s together in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all excited to keep seeing the evolution of the game in the weeks to come.
David
Background of the Incoming Head
The appointee presently holds the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier worked at major gaming companies in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Game Information and Vision
Project Ethos was revealed in last year in conjunction with a public demo. Initially, the developers presented the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling evolution on the category."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the description states. "Challenge the rivals with fresh skills, challenges, and obstacles that change every round. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, gamble everything, and trust your team can earn top ranking? The option is in your hands."
The game has not yet received an confirmed debut schedule or consoles, but players can look forward to additional details as production progresses.
