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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Change Follows Poor Response

The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified team members about this strategic move through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the need for a more defined game identity.

The president noted that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to address gamer demands.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

This announcement echoes a comparable step taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock development group.

Here is the complete message from Ismailer's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just wrapped up your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a update, I stated the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and talented developers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to continue.”

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

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was informative. It validated the promise of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It revealed the necessity for a sharper identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the criticism to heart and reimagined the title with a renewed goal - one that’s poised to deliver on its promise to our audience.

The belief in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the outstanding progress you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of the team. After a period of discussions, Ben comes aboard us on next week.

Ben’s leadership and background in the competitive gaming space is considerable, having dedicated the past decade and a half producing and managing some of the most well-known series in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in greeting Ben soon. We are all excited to continue seeing the progress of the game in the time to ahead.

David

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman presently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in last year together with a community playtest. Then, the developers presented the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling advancement on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary states. "Challenge the rivals with fresh skills, risks, and obstacles that change every session. Will you leave securely with your collected items? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and pray your squad can secure victory? The decision is up to you."

The game lacks an confirmed launch window or supported systems, but enthusiasts can look forward to additional details as development advances.