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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends 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 Lukewarm Feedback

Brinkman steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing early showing last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure notified employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had shown the need for a clearer direction.

The president stated that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed approach, aiming to address gamer demands.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement follows a similar step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire text from Ismailer's memo:

Dear Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your gathering - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative developers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to persist.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, especially over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was revealing. It confirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It uncovered the requirement for a sharper vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the input to consideration and reimagined the title with a revitalized goal - one that’s ready to deliver on its promise to our audience.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To further the remarkable progress you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. After some time of discussions, Ben starts with us on the specified date.

His guidance and expertise in the PVP shooter field is considerable, having spent the past decade and a half producing and managing some of the most well-known franchises in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in welcoming him next week. We are all looking forward to persist seeing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the time to follow.

David

Experience of the New Leader

The appointee presently holds the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously was employed at major gaming companies in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Concept

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a community playtest. Initially, 31st Union presented the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling evolution on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the official summary explains. "Take on the opponents with new abilities, challenges, and challenges that change every match. Do you leave securely with your collected items? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and pray your team can achieve the highest spot? The decision is yours."

The game has not yet received an announced release date or supported systems, but enthusiasts can look forward to additional details as creation advances.