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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Change Follows Poor Reception

Brinkman steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster unveiling last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure updated employees about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the need for a more defined direction.

The president expressed that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

Trend of Key Recruitment

This announcement follows a comparable action taken by the publisher in August, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the BioShock development group.

Below is the entire message from the president's memo:

Team—

I understand you all just finished your town hall - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a update, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and innovative developers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to persist.”

With your dedication and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game playtest was revealing. It confirmed the promise of a action-packed game but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the requirement for a more distinct identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the feedback to consideration and reimagined the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s positioned to fulfill its potential to our players.

The trust in Project ETHOS grows every day. To advance the remarkable development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome the new hire as the new Lead of the team. Following some time of discussions, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.

Ben’s leadership and background in the PVP shooter space is vast, having devoted the recent years producing and managing some of the most recognizable titles in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in greeting him in the coming days. We are all looking forward to persist observing the evolution of the game in the weeks to come.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman currently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 alongside a public demo. Then, 31st Union presented the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting evolution on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the description states. "Take on the opponents with fresh skills, stakes, and challenges that shift every match. Do you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Or go big, put it on the line, and trust your squad can achieve the highest spot? The option is in your hands."

Project Ethos lacks an announced launch window or consoles, but enthusiasts can anticipate further news as production progresses.