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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Shift Comes After Lukewarm Feedback

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming unveiling last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure notified employees about this decision through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had indicated the necessity for a distinct vision.

The president noted that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a revised approach, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

This announcement follows a comparable move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock development group.

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

Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and talented developers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re eager for that partnership to endure.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It validated the promise of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the necessity for a sharper identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the input to mind and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s positioned to deliver on its potential to our audience.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS increases every day. To further the remarkable progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. After several months of talks, Ben officially joins us on next week.

Ben’s leadership and background in the PVP shooter field is extensive, having devoted the recent years producing and overseeing some of the most recognizable titles in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in welcoming Ben next week. We are all excited to continue observing the development of the game in the months to come.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

The appointee presently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

Project Ethos was announced in last year in conjunction with a public demo. At the time, 31st Union presented the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting advancement 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 game's pitch explains. "Take on the competition with unique powers, risks, and challenges that shift every session. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or go big, put it on the line, and trust your squad can achieve the highest spot? The decision is yours."

Project Ethos does not have an announced debut schedule or consoles, but fans can anticipate additional details as creation progresses.