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The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Comes After Poor Reception

Brinkman steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster initial reveal last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified team members about this strategic move through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had revealed the necessity for a distinct game identity.

Ismailer expressed that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed approach, aiming to address community desires.

Trend of Strategic Acquisitions

The news mirrors a similar step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the complete message from the president's communication:

Team—

I know you all just finished your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and creative designers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to continue.”

With your dedication and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It validated the appeal of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the need for a sharper brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the feedback to mind and reimagined the title with a revitalized direction - one that’s poised to deliver on its potential to our players.

The belief in this project strengthens every day. To advance the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome the new hire as the incoming Director of 31st Union. After several months of discussions, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s guidance and experience in the PVP shooter space is vast, having devoted the recent years developing and managing some of the most recognizable franchises in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in receiving him in the coming days. We are all excited to persist observing the progress of Project ETHOS in the time to follow.

The President

Experience of the New Head

The appointee presently holds the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, prior to that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union presented the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative evolution on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the official summary states. "Face the rivals with fresh skills, stakes, and tests that evolve every match. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively take a risk, gamble everything, and pray your team can earn top ranking? The option is yours."

Project Ethos does not have an announced launch window or supported systems, but enthusiasts can look forward to further news as development progresses.