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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Comes After Mixed Reception

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure notified employees about this strategic move through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had revealed the necessity for a more defined vision.

Ismailer noted that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a refreshed vision, aiming to better meet community desires.

Trend of Key Recruitment

This announcement echoes a comparable step taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the complete message from Ismailer's communication:

Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a update, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and creative creators we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re excited for that partnership to persist.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It affirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but made clear we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the necessity for a sharper vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the input to heart and overhauled the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s ready to fulfill its ambition to our players.

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To boost the incredible development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome Ben Brinkman as the latest Director of the team. After several months of talks, Ben officially joins us on next week.

Ben’s leadership and background in the PVP shooter space is vast, having devoted the recent years producing and leading some of the most popular series in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in greeting Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to keep observing the evolution of the game in the time to ahead.

David

Background of the New Head

The appointee currently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 together with a community playtest. Initially, 31st Union described the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting advancement 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 game's pitch explains. "Take on the rivals with unique powers, stakes, and challenges that shift every round. Will you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, put it on the line, and trust your group can achieve the highest spot? The decision is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an announced launch window or platforms, but players can expect more updates as development advances.