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The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Change Comes After Lukewarm Response

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure updated employees about this decision through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the need for a clearer vision.

The president expressed that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised approach, aiming to satisfy community desires.

Trend of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement follows a similar step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the full text from the president's communication:

Dear Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your town hall - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and creative creators we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to continue.”

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

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It validated the promise of a action-packed game but told us we still had work to do. It highlighted the necessity for a clearer identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the input to mind and reimagined Project ETHOS with a revitalized vision - one that’s ready to deliver on its promise to our players.

The trust in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To boost the remarkable development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of the team. Following some time of conversations, he comes aboard us on the specified date.

His guidance and experience in the competitive gaming space is extensive, having devoted the last 15 years producing and overseeing some of the most well-known titles in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in greeting Ben next week. We are all excited to persist witnessing the evolution of the game in the time to ahead.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman currently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 alongside a public demo. Then, 31st Union presented the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting step forward on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the description explains. "Take on the opponents with new abilities, risks, and tests that evolve every match. Do you leave securely with your collected items? Or take a risk, risk it all, and hope your group can secure victory? The option is in your hands."

The game has not yet received an confirmed debut schedule or consoles, but fans can expect additional details as development progresses.