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The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Shift Follows Poor Feedback

The new appointee assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing unveiling last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had indicated the necessity for a more defined vision.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to better meet player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

The news follows a comparable step taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

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

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just completed your gathering - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a update, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative designers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to persist.”

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

The gamer responses from last autumn’s the game testing phase was informative. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had work to do. It uncovered the need for a sharper vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the feedback to heart and revamped the title with a renewed goal - one that’s poised to fulfill its promise to our players.

The trust in this project grows every day. To boost the incredible progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Director of 31st Union. Following some time of conversations, Ben comes aboard us on the specified date.

His leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming space is considerable, having dedicated the past decade and a half creating and managing some of the most recognizable series in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to persist seeing the progress of the game in the time to come.

David

Experience of the New Leader

The appointee currently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously was employed at major gaming companies in various production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, prior to that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Concept

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 alongside a community playtest. Then, 31st Union presented the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling step forward 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 match your preferred approach," the description reads. "Challenge the opponents with fresh skills, stakes, and obstacles that evolve every session. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or aim high, risk it all, and hope your squad can earn top ranking? The decision is up to you."

The game does not have an confirmed launch window or supported systems, but fans can look forward to additional details as development progresses.