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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Comes After Mixed Feedback

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster early showing last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure informed staff about this strategic move through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had revealed the necessity for a distinct vision.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to satisfy community desires.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

This announcement mirrors a similar action taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire text from Ismailer's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a message, I stated the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative creators we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re excited for that relationship to endure.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s the game playtest was revealing. It confirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the necessity for a sharper vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the input to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a revitalized goal - one that’s positioned to achieve its promise to our players.

The belief in this project strengthens every day. To further the remarkable advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce the new hire as the new Director of the team. After a period of talks, Ben comes aboard us on next week.

His leadership and experience in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having spent the last 15 years producing and managing some of the most popular franchises in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to persist seeing the development of the game in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Background of the New Leader

Brinkman currently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously was employed at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 together with a early access event. At the time, 31st Union presented the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling step forward on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch states. "Challenge the opponents with new abilities, risks, and tests that evolve every round. Do you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Alternatively take a risk, put it on the line, and trust your group can secure victory? The decision is in your hands."

Project Ethos has not yet received an announced release date or supported systems, but players can look forward to more updates as development continues.