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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Transition Comes After Poor Feedback

The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure notified employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had revealed the need for a more defined game identity.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a revised approach, aiming to address player expectations.

Trend of Strategic Acquisitions

This announcement follows a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire content from the president's communication:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just completed your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative developers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re eager for that partnership to continue.”

Given your hard work and versatility, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last fall’s the game demo was informative. It validated the appeal of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had refinements needed. It revealed the requirement for a clearer identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the feedback to consideration and overhauled the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s poised to fulfill its ambition to our audience.

The trust in Project ETHOS grows every day. To further the remarkable development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of the team. Following a period of discussions, he starts with us on next week.

His leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming field is vast, having dedicated the recent years creating and leading some of the most popular series in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in welcoming him soon. We are all looking forward to keep observing the evolution of the game in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Background of the Incoming Leader

The appointee presently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in various production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. Then, 31st Union presented the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting 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 suit your personal playstyle," the official summary explains. "Challenge the opponents with unique powers, challenges, and obstacles that shift every session. Do you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Or go big, gamble everything, and trust your group can earn top ranking? The decision is up to you."

Project Ethos has not yet received an official launch window or platforms, but players can expect further news as production continues.