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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Comes After Poor Feedback

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming unveiling last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated team members about this strategic move through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the necessity for a more defined direction.

The president stated that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement echoes a similar step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the entire text from the president's announcement:

Team—

I know you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented developers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to endure.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game playtest was informative. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had work to do. It revealed the requirement for a clearer identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the input to mind and revamped the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s poised to fulfill its potential to our fans.

The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To advance the remarkable development you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome the new hire as the latest Director of 31st Union. Following some time of talks, he officially joins us on the specified date.

Ben’s leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming space is extensive, having dedicated the last 15 years producing and overseeing some of the most recognizable franchises in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and lately, Apex Legends.

Please join me in receiving him next week. We are all looking forward to persist observing the development of the game in the time to come.

The President

Experience of the New Leader

Brinkman presently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 together with a public demo. Then, the developers portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling step forward on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch reads. "Challenge the opponents with new abilities, stakes, and tests that shift every match. Do you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Or aim high, put it on the line, and pray your group can earn top ranking? The decision is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an official launch window or consoles, but players can look forward to additional details as creation progresses.