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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Management Transition Follows Poor Response

The new appointee assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure informed staff about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had revealed the necessity for a clearer vision.

The president stated that the developers is now overhauling the project with a refreshed vision, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

The news follows a comparable action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock development group.

Below is the full message from Ismailer's communication:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a message, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and innovative creators we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that relationship to persist.”

Through your commitment and versatility, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was enlightening. It validated the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had work to do. It highlighted the necessity for a sharper vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the feedback to mind and overhauled the title with a revitalized vision - one that’s positioned to deliver on its promise to our fans.

The trust in this project strengthens every day. To further the remarkable development you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. Following a period of conversations, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s guidance and expertise in the PVP shooter field is vast, having spent the recent years producing and overseeing some of the most well-known franchises in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in greeting Ben soon. We are all excited to persist witnessing the development of the game in the months to follow.

David

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman currently serves in the position of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in last year in conjunction with a public demo. Initially, the developers presented the title as a "no-cost, 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 live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary reads. "Face the competition with unique powers, challenges, and tests that change every session. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and trust your team can achieve the highest spot? The decision is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an official debut schedule or consoles, but fans can expect additional details as production continues.