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The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Change Follows Poor Reception

Brinkman steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's disappointing early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure notified employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had revealed the necessity for a more defined vision.

Ismailer expressed that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a revised approach, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

This announcement follows a comparable step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the full text from Ismailer's communication:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just completed your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative developers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that partnership to persist.”

With your dedication and adaptability, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It validated the promise of a action-packed game but made clear we still had work to do. It uncovered the necessity for a sharper vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the feedback to mind and overhauled the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s positioned to deliver on its potential to our audience.

The belief in this project increases every day. To advance the incredible advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of 31st Union. After a period of talks, he starts with us on next week.

His leadership and background in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having devoted the past decade and a half producing and leading some of the most popular series in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in welcoming Ben soon. We are all looking forward to keep witnessing the development of the game in the months to ahead.

The President

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman currently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 alongside a early access event. Initially, the developers portrayed the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative advancement on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary reads. "Challenge the competition with new abilities, risks, and challenges that change every session. Do you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, gamble everything, and hope your team can earn top ranking? The option is in your hands."

Project Ethos has not yet received an announced release date or consoles, but fans can look forward to more updates as development advances.