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The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently working on the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Change Comes After Lukewarm Response

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming unveiling last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed team members about this decision through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had shown the requirement for a clearer vision.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a revised approach, aiming to address community desires.

Trend of Key Hires

This announcement follows a comparable move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire message from Ismailer's announcement:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a message, I stated the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and creative designers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to continue.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game testing phase was enlightening. It affirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It revealed the requirement for a sharper identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the feedback to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a revitalized vision - one that’s ready to achieve its promise to our audience.

The belief in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To advance the outstanding development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome the new hire as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. Following some time of talks, Ben comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s guidance and background in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having devoted the past decade and a half producing and leading some of the most popular franchises in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in greeting Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to keep observing the development of the game in the weeks to come.

The President

Experience of the New Head

The appointee currently holds the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 in conjunction with a community playtest. Then, 31st Union presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling step forward on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch reads. "Take on the rivals with fresh skills, risks, and tests that shift every match. Do you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Or go big, gamble everything, and trust your group can earn top ranking? The decision is yours."

The game does not have an announced launch window or supported systems, but fans can anticipate additional details as development advances.