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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Shift Comes After Mixed Feedback

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified team members about this decision through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the need for a distinct direction.

The president expressed that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

Trend of Strategic Acquisitions

The news mirrors a similar step taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the complete message from Ismailer's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just wrapped up your town hall - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a update, I expressed the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative developers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re eager for that partnership to endure.”

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

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It affirmed the promise of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the requirement for a sharper identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the feedback to heart and revamped the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s poised to deliver on its ambition to our fans.

The belief in this project strengthens every day. To advance the incredible progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the latest Director of 31st Union. After some time of conversations, he starts with us on Monday, October 20.

His leadership and experience in the competitive gaming space is considerable, having devoted the last 15 years developing and overseeing some of the most recognizable titles in gaming, for example the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in welcoming Ben soon. We are all excited to persist witnessing the progress of Project ETHOS in the time to come.

David

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman currently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, prior to that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in last year alongside a community playtest. Initially, 31st Union described the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling advancement on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch states. "Take on the rivals with unique powers, risks, and challenges that shift every session. Will you leave securely with your collected items? Or take a risk, put it on the line, and hope your team can achieve the highest spot? The option is in your hands."

Project Ethos does not have an announced launch window or consoles, but fans can expect more updates as development progresses.