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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Shift Follows Poor Response

Brinkman assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing unveiling last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated staff about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had indicated the necessity for a distinct vision.

Ismailer expressed that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a refreshed focus, aiming to better meet community desires.

A Pattern of Key Acquisitions

The news echoes a similar step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the complete message from Ismailer's announcement:

Team—

I understand you all just completed your town hall - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most driven and talented designers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to continue.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It affirmed the promise of a action-packed game but told us we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the necessity for a clearer brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the criticism to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a refreshed vision - one that’s positioned to fulfill its potential to our players.

The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To advance the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce the new hire as the incoming Director of the team. After a period of discussions, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His leadership and experience in the competitive gaming space is extensive, having devoted the recent years developing and overseeing some of the most well-known titles in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

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

David

Background of the Incoming Head

Brinkman currently serves in the role of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in last year in conjunction with a public demo. Initially, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling evolution on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch reads. "Face the competition with fresh skills, challenges, and obstacles that shift every match. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or take a risk, risk it all, and trust your group can achieve the highest spot? The choice is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an official launch window or supported systems, but players can expect additional details as development advances.