🔗 Share this article

The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Change Follows Mixed Response

The new appointee steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.

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

The president expressed that the team is now reimagining the project with a revised vision, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Acquisitions

The news follows a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the complete text from the president's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just completed your town hall - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a update, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and creative developers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that relationship to persist.”

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

The community feedback from last fall’s the game playtest was enlightening. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the requirement for a more distinct vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You took the input to consideration and revamped the title with a renewed direction - one that’s ready to achieve its promise to our fans.

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To advance the incredible progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the latest Lead of 31st Union. Following several months of discussions, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His guidance and expertise in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having spent the recent years creating and overseeing some of the most popular series in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in receiving Ben soon. We are all looking forward to keep observing the evolution of the game in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman presently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 together with a public demo. Then, the developers portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch explains. "Take on the competition with new abilities, stakes, and obstacles that evolve every session. Will you leave securely with your collected items? Or aim high, risk it all, and pray your group can secure victory? The option is yours."

Project Ethos does not have an official release date or consoles, but players can expect further news as creation advances.