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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Comes After Lukewarm 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' lackluster early showing last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure notified staff about this organizational change through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had indicated the requirement for a clearer direction.

Ismailer expressed that the team is now overhauling the project with a renewed approach, aiming to address community desires.

Trend of Strategic Acquisitions

The news follows a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock development group.

Below is the full text from the president's memo:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a update, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative designers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to persist.”

With your dedication and versatility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was informative. It validated the promise of a action-packed game but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the necessity for a sharper identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the feedback to heart and revamped the title with a refreshed direction - one that’s positioned to deliver on its ambition to our players.

The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the incredible advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to announce the new hire as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. Following a period of discussions, he officially joins us on next week.

Ben’s management and experience in the competitive gaming genre is considerable, having spent the recent years creating and leading some of the most popular series in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in welcoming Ben soon. We are all looking forward to persist witnessing the progress of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Head

The appointee currently serves in the role of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 together with a community playtest. At the time, the developers described the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting step forward on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the official summary states. "Take on the opponents with new abilities, stakes, and tests that shift every match. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Or take a risk, put it on the line, and pray your squad can earn top ranking? The option is up to you."

The game has not yet received an announced release date or supported systems, but fans can expect further news as production progresses.