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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Comes After Lukewarm Reception

The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster unveiling last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure notified team members about this strategic move through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the necessity for a more defined vision.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now reimagining the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

Trend of Key Recruitment

This announcement follows a similar move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the full text from Ismailer's communication:

Team—

I know you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative developers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to continue.”

With your dedication and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The player input from last autumn’s the game demo was informative. It affirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had improvements to make. It revealed the necessity for a more distinct brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You took the feedback to mind and reimagined Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s poised to achieve its ambition to our audience.

The trust in Project ETHOS grows every day. To advance the remarkable development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce the new hire as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. After several months of discussions, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.

His management and experience in the competitive gaming field is vast, having dedicated the last 15 years creating and leading some of the most recognizable titles in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in greeting Ben in the coming days. We are all excited to persist observing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the months to ahead.

The President

Background of the Incoming Head

Brinkman currently holds the role of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He previously worked at major gaming companies in various production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 together with a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union described the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative advancement on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the description explains. "Face the opponents with new abilities, stakes, and challenges that evolve every round. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively take a risk, gamble everything, and trust your group can earn top ranking? The option is yours."

The game has not yet received an announced release date or supported systems, but players can look forward to additional details as creation continues.