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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the anticipated over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Change Comes After Lukewarm Feedback

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster early showing last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the requirement for a distinct vision.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a renewed vision, aiming to address player expectations.

Trend of Strategic Hires

This announcement mirrors a similar action taken by the publisher in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock development group.

Here is the full text from Ismailer's memo:

Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Previously I shared you all a message, I stated the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and innovative developers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re excited for that relationship to persist.”

Through your commitment and versatility, especially over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s the game playtest was enlightening. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the requirement for a more distinct identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the criticism to heart and overhauled the title with a renewed direction - one that’s poised to achieve its ambition to our fans.

The trust in this project increases every day. To further the incredible development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome the new hire as the new Studio Head of 31st Union. Following some time of conversations, he starts with us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s management and experience in the competitive gaming field is vast, having dedicated the last 15 years developing and leading some of the most well-known series in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in receiving him next week. We are all looking forward to keep witnessing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the months to come.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Head

The appointee presently holds the position of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, prior to that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 together with a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling evolution on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch explains. "Challenge the competition with fresh skills, stakes, and obstacles that shift every match. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or take a risk, put it on the line, and hope your group can earn top ranking? The choice is up to you."

The game has not yet received an official debut schedule or platforms, but fans can look forward to more updates as production progresses.