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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Transition Follows Poor Reception

Brinkman steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure notified employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had revealed the requirement for a more defined game identity.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a refreshed vision, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

This announcement echoes a similar move taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock development group.

Below is the full message from the president's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative creators we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to continue.”

Given your hard work and versatility, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had work to do. It revealed the requirement for a more distinct brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the input to consideration and overhauled the title with a refreshed direction - one that’s positioned to fulfill its promise to our players.

The trust in this project strengthens every day. To advance the outstanding progress you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce the new hire as the latest Lead of 31st Union. After several months of discussions, he officially joins us on next week.

His guidance and background in the PVP shooter genre is extensive, having spent the last 15 years creating and managing some of the most popular series in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in greeting him in the coming days. We are all looking forward to keep seeing the progress of Project ETHOS in the months to follow.

The President

Experience of the New Leader

Brinkman currently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier was employed at major gaming companies in various production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Concept

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. At the time, 31st Union described the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling advancement on the genre."

"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 game's pitch states. "Take on the competition with fresh skills, stakes, and obstacles that shift every round. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and hope your squad can earn top ranking? The option is up to you."

The game lacks an confirmed release date or platforms, but enthusiasts can anticipate further news as development advances.