🔗 Share this article

The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Change Follows Poor Reception

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's disappointing unveiling last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified employees about this decision through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the requirement for a distinct direction.

Ismailer noted that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to better meet community desires.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

This announcement echoes a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock development group.

Here is the complete text from the president's communication:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a note, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most driven and creative creators we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that relationship to continue.”

With your dedication and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last autumn’s the game demo was revealing. It affirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but indicated we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the necessity for a clearer brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the criticism to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s poised to deliver on its potential to our audience.

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To advance the incredible progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome the new hire as the incoming Director of 31st Union. After a period of conversations, he officially joins us on next week.

His leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter space is vast, having dedicated the recent years creating and overseeing some of the most recognizable titles in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in greeting him in the coming days. We are all eager to persist seeing the evolution of the game in the months to follow.

The President

Background of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman presently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Concept

The upcoming game was revealed in last year alongside a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling evolution on the style."

"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 game's pitch states. "Take on the opponents with new abilities, stakes, and challenges that shift every session. Will you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Alternatively go big, risk it all, and pray your squad can secure victory? The option is up to you."

The game does not have an official launch window or supported systems, but fans can expect additional details as production progresses.