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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Comes After Poor Reception

The new appointee steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure notified employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had revealed the requirement for a clearer vision.

The president expressed that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to address player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions

This announcement echoes a comparable move taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire message from Ismailer's communication:

Team—

I know you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and innovative developers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to endure.”

Through your commitment and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The player input from last fall’s the game playtest was informative. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the need for a sharper vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the feedback to heart and reimagined Project ETHOS with a revitalized direction - one that’s poised to fulfill its ambition to our fans.

Our confidence in this project increases every day. To advance the incredible advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the latest Director of the team. Following a period of conversations, he starts with us on next week.

Ben’s management and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having spent the past decade and a half creating and managing some of the most popular series in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in greeting Ben soon. We are all excited to persist observing the evolution of the game in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Experience of the New Head

The appointee currently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He previously was employed at major gaming companies in various development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 in conjunction with a early access event. At the time, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling evolution on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch reads. "Take on the opponents with fresh skills, risks, and tests that evolve every round. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Or go big, gamble everything, and trust your squad can achieve the highest spot? The decision is in your hands."

Project Ethos lacks an official release date or supported systems, but players can anticipate additional details as production advances.