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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Comes After Lukewarm Response

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure informed staff about this organizational change through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had indicated the need for a more defined game identity.

The president noted that the team is now reimagining the project with a revised approach, aiming to address community desires.

A Pattern of Key Hires

The news echoes a similar action taken by the publisher in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the full message from Ismailer's memo:

Dear Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your meeting - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative creators we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to persist.”

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

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was revealing. It confirmed the potential of a action-packed game but made clear we still had work to do. It revealed the need for a clearer identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the input to consideration and reimagined the title with a renewed vision - one that’s poised to achieve its promise to our audience.

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To advance the incredible progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Director of 31st Union. Following some time of conversations, Ben starts with us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s guidance and experience in the PVP shooter genre is extensive, having spent the recent years developing and overseeing some of the most well-known series in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in greeting him soon. We are all excited to continue observing the evolution of the game in the months to ahead.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman presently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in last year in conjunction with a public demo. Then, the developers portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative step forward 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 explains. "Face the rivals with new abilities, risks, and obstacles that shift every session. Do you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Or go big, gamble everything, and hope your squad can achieve the highest spot? The decision is up to you."

The game has not yet received an official release date or consoles, but fans can expect more updates as production continues.