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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Shift Follows Lukewarm Reception

The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure updated team members about this decision through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had revealed the need for a more defined direction.

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

Trend of Strategic Hires

This announcement follows a comparable move taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the full text from Ismailer's memo:

Dear Team—

I know you all just completed your gathering - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a note, I stated 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 excited for that partnership to persist.”

With your dedication and versatility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game testing phase was informative. It affirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the need for a sharper identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the criticism to mind and revamped the title with a revitalized goal - one that’s positioned to deliver on its promise to our fans.

The belief in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To boost the remarkable progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of the team. Following some time of conversations, he comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

His leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having devoted the past decade and a half creating and overseeing some of the most popular franchises in gaming, for example the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in receiving Ben next week. We are all eager to continue seeing the development of the game in the months to come.

The President

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman currently holds the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 together with a public demo. At the time, 31st Union presented the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling step forward on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch reads. "Take on the opponents with fresh skills, challenges, and challenges that change every match. Do you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Alternatively go big, put it on the line, and hope your group can achieve the highest spot? The option is up to you."

The game has not yet received an confirmed debut schedule or supported systems, but enthusiasts can look forward to more updates as creation progresses.