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The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Transition Follows Mixed Feedback

The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster early showing last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had revealed the requirement for a distinct game identity.

The president noted that the developers is now overhauling the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to better meet player expectations.

Trend of Strategic Hires

The news follows a similar move taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire text from the president's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just wrapped up your town hall - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a note, I stated the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented designers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to persist.”

Given your hard work and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last fall’s the game playtest was enlightening. It validated the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the requirement for a more distinct vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the input to heart and reimagined Project ETHOS with a revitalized goal - one that’s ready to fulfill its promise to our fans.

The trust in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To further the outstanding development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce the new hire as the new Lead of the team. After some time of talks, Ben officially joins us on next week.

His leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having spent the past decade and a half developing and managing some of the most recognizable series in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in greeting Ben soon. We are all excited to keep witnessing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the months to come.

The President

Background of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman currently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Concept

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 alongside a community playtest. Initially, 31st Union described the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward 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 official summary reads. "Take on the competition with new abilities, risks, and obstacles that evolve every match. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Or go big, risk it all, and pray your squad can earn top ranking? The option is in your hands."

The game lacks an confirmed debut schedule or consoles, but players can look forward to further news as production continues.