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The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Shift Comes After Lukewarm Feedback

Brinkman steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure notified staff about this decision through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had indicated the requirement for a clearer direction.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to better meet community desires.

A Pattern of Key Hires

This announcement mirrors a comparable action taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire content from Ismailer's memo:

Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a message, I expressed the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative creators we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re eager for that partnership to continue.”

With your dedication and flexibility, especially over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It validated the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had work to do. It revealed the requirement for a sharper brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the input to heart and reimagined the title with a renewed vision - one that’s poised to deliver on its ambition to our players.

The trust in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To boost the outstanding development you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce the new hire as the new Director of 31st Union. After some time of discussions, Ben starts with us on Monday, October 20.

His leadership and experience in the competitive gaming field is vast, having devoted the past decade and a half creating and leading some of the most popular franchises in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in receiving him soon. We are all excited to persist observing the evolution of the game in the months to come.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman currently 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 Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 together with a public demo. Then, 31st Union described the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative evolution on the genre."

"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 description states. "Challenge the rivals with unique powers, stakes, and challenges that change every round. Do you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, risk it all, and hope your squad can secure victory? The option is in your hands."

Project Ethos has not yet received an confirmed release date or supported systems, but fans can anticipate more updates as development advances.