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The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to lead the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Management Change Follows Poor Response

The new appointee steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure updated staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the need for a more defined direction.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now refining the project with a revised approach, aiming to better meet player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

The news follows a similar move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

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

Team—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and creative creators we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that partnership to endure.”

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

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was revealing. It confirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It uncovered the requirement for a sharper brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the feedback to consideration and reimagined the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s positioned to fulfill its potential to our fans.

Our confidence in this project increases every day. To boost the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome the new hire as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. After several months of talks, he officially joins us on the specified date.

His management and background in the competitive gaming space is extensive, having dedicated the past decade and a half producing and overseeing some of the most popular titles in gaming, for example the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in welcoming Ben soon. We are all eager to keep seeing the development of the game in the months to follow.

The President

Background of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman currently holds the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 alongside a public demo. Initially, 31st Union described the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting step forward on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary explains. "Take on the opponents with fresh skills, challenges, and challenges that change every match. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively go big, risk it all, and pray your group can earn top ranking? The choice is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an announced launch window or platforms, but players can look forward to further news as production progresses.