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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Shift Follows Mixed Response

Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had shown the necessity for a distinct direction.

The president stated that the developers is now refining the project with a renewed approach, aiming to better meet community desires.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

This announcement mirrors a similar action taken by the publisher in August, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the full content from the president's memo:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just completed your town hall - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a message, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and creative developers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to persist.”

With your dedication and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was enlightening. It confirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the requirement for a sharper identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the input to heart and revamped the title with a revitalized goal - one that’s poised to achieve its potential to our audience.

The trust in this project grows every day. To advance the remarkable development you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome the new hire as the latest Director of 31st Union. Following some time of conversations, he officially joins us on next week.

Ben’s leadership and experience in the PVP shooter field is vast, having spent the last 15 years developing and managing some of the most recognizable titles in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in welcoming Ben next week. We are all excited to persist witnessing the progress of the game in the months to ahead.

The President

Background of the New Head

The appointee currently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, prior to that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Concept

Project Ethos was unveiled in last year in conjunction with a public demo. At the time, 31st Union presented the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch states. "Face the rivals with new abilities, stakes, and challenges that change every match. Do you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Or aim high, gamble everything, and hope your team can secure victory? The decision is yours."

The game has not yet received an announced release date or supported systems, but players can look forward to more updates as development advances.