The Gaming Giant Brings Onboard Apex Legends Developer to Revitalize Troubled Action Game Ambitious Title

The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Comes After Mixed Reception

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming unveiling last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated employees about this decision through an internal memo, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had revealed the necessity for a distinct vision.

Ismailer stated that the team is now reimagining the project with a revised focus, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

Trend of Strategic Hires

The news mirrors a similar action taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the complete content from the president's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented developers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re excited for that partnership to endure.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It confirmed the promise of a action-packed game but made clear we still had work to do. It revealed the necessity for a sharper identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the input to consideration and revamped Project ETHOS with a revitalized vision - one that’s positioned to achieve its ambition to our audience.

Our confidence in this project grows every day. To advance the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome the new hire as the incoming Director of the team. After a period of talks, he comes aboard us on the specified date.

Ben’s management and expertise in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having spent the last 15 years developing and managing some of the most popular titles in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in welcoming him in the coming days. We are all eager to continue observing the evolution of the game in the months to come.

The President

Experience of the New Leader

The appointee currently serves in the role of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in last year in conjunction with a public demo. At the time, 31st Union described the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative evolution on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the official summary explains. "Challenge the opponents with new abilities, risks, and challenges that change every match. Do you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively go big, risk it all, and hope your squad can secure victory? The decision is up to you."

The game has not yet received an official release date or platforms, but fans can look forward to more updates as development progresses.