The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently working on the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Leadership Transition Follows Lukewarm Feedback
The new appointee steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.
Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified staff about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had revealed the requirement for a clearer vision.
The president expressed that the team is now refining the project with a renewed vision, aiming to better meet community desires.
Trend of Strategic Acquisitions
This announcement follows a similar action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the full message from Ismailer's memo:
Hello Everyone—
I understand you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a update, I expressed the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and creative designers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to continue.”
With your dedication 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 made clear we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the requirement for a clearer vision.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the feedback to mind and reimagined the title with a revitalized goal - one that’s positioned to fulfill its ambition to our fans.
The belief in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To further the remarkable progress you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome the new hire as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. After a period of conversations, Ben comes aboard us on next week.
Ben’s leadership and background in the competitive gaming field is considerable, having dedicated the recent years creating and overseeing some of the most well-known series in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.
I invite you all in welcoming him soon. We are all excited to persist observing the development of the game in the time to ahead.
The President
Background of the New Head
The appointee presently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had periods at other industry leaders.
Title Information and Concept
The upcoming game was announced in last year in conjunction with a early access event. At the time, the developers presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative step forward on the style."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch states. "Take on the rivals with fresh skills, challenges, and challenges that shift every match. Will you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Or aim high, risk it all, and pray your squad can secure victory? The option is in your hands."
The game has not yet received an announced debut schedule or supported systems, but fans can look forward to more updates as creation progresses.
