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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Transition Comes After Poor Response

The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure informed employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had revealed the need for a more defined direction.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a revised approach, aiming to better meet player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement follows a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

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

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a message, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most driven and innovative designers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to continue.”

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

The player input from last autumn’s the game demo was informative. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the necessity for a sharper identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the criticism to mind and revamped the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s positioned to fulfill its potential to our fans.

The belief in Project ETHOS grows every day. To further the remarkable development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome the new hire as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. After several months of discussions, he starts with us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s management and expertise in the competitive gaming space is vast, having devoted the last 15 years creating and leading some of the most popular titles in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in welcoming Ben next week. We are all eager to continue observing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the time to ahead.

David

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman presently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier was employed at major gaming companies in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in last year together with a early access event. Then, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative advancement on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the description reads. "Take on the opponents with unique powers, risks, and tests that evolve every match. Do you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Or go big, risk it all, and hope your team can earn top ranking? The decision is up to you."

Project Ethos lacks an official release date or platforms, but fans can anticipate further news as production advances.