The Gaming Giant Hires Apex Legends Producer to Boost Troubled Action Game Project Ethos
The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the forthcoming third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.
Leadership Change Comes After Poor Feedback
Brinkman steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming unveiling last fall.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure informed staff about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had indicated the requirement for a distinct vision.
The president expressed that the developers is now refining the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to address player expectations.
A Pattern of Key Acquisitions
This announcement follows a similar step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise development group.
Below is the full message from Ismailer's announcement:
Hello Everyone—
I understand you all just finished your meeting - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a note, I stated the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and talented developers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to persist.”
Through your commitment and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.
The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was enlightening. It confirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the necessity for a clearer brand.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the input to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s poised to fulfill its potential to our players.
The trust in Project ETHOS grows every day. To boost the remarkable progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of the team. Following some time of discussions, Ben comes aboard us on the specified date.
Ben’s leadership and experience in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having spent the recent years creating and overseeing some of the most popular franchises in gaming, for example the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.
Let’s together in greeting Ben next week. We are all eager to persist witnessing the evolution of the game in the time to ahead.
The President
Background of the New Leader
Brinkman presently holds the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had assignments at other industry leaders.
Game Information and Vision
Project Ethos was unveiled in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. Then, the developers portrayed the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling evolution on the genre."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the description explains. "Take on the competition with unique powers, challenges, and challenges that change every match. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and hope your team can secure victory? The option is up to you."
Project Ethos lacks an confirmed debut schedule or platforms, but players can anticipate further news as production advances.