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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Transition Follows Mixed Response

The new appointee steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster early showing last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure informed staff about this organizational change through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had indicated the requirement for a distinct game identity.

Ismailer expressed that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to address gamer demands.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

The news echoes a similar step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire message from the president's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just completed your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and talented creators we have had the chance to work with - and we’re excited for that relationship to endure.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It confirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the necessity for a clearer vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You took the input to heart and overhauled the title with a renewed direction - one that’s positioned to fulfill its promise to our players.

The belief in this project increases every day. To further the remarkable development you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of the team. After a period of conversations, Ben comes aboard us on next week.

His guidance and expertise in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having devoted the recent years creating and leading some of the most well-known franchises in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in greeting Ben next week. We are all eager to persist witnessing the progress of the game in the time to follow.

David

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman currently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at major gaming companies in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in last year in conjunction with a public demo. At the time, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting advancement on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary reads. "Take on the competition with unique powers, challenges, and tests that evolve every session. Will you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and pray your squad can earn top ranking? The decision is yours."

Project Ethos has not yet received an announced release date or supported systems, but fans can expect further news as production continues.