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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the anticipated over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Change Comes After Poor Reception

The new appointee steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster unveiling last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had indicated the necessity for a clearer direction.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now reimagining the project with a renewed approach, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

Trend of Strategic Hires

This announcement mirrors a comparable action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the entire content from the president's communication:

Team—

I know you all just completed your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a message, I stated the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative developers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to endure.”

With your dedication and adaptability, especially over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was informative. It confirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It revealed the need for a clearer vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the feedback to heart and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s poised to deliver on its ambition to our audience.

The belief in this project increases every day. To boost the remarkable development you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Director of 31st Union. Following some time of talks, he officially joins us on next week.

His guidance and expertise in the competitive gaming field is considerable, having dedicated the last 15 years creating and overseeing some of the most popular titles in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in receiving Ben soon. We are all excited to persist observing the progress of the game in the time to come.

The President

Background of the Incoming Head

Brinkman presently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously worked at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 in conjunction with a early access event. At the time, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative advancement on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the description states. "Take on the rivals with unique powers, stakes, and tests that shift every session. Will you leave securely with your collected items? Alternatively aim high, gamble everything, and hope your group can achieve the highest spot? The choice is in your hands."

The game does not have an official launch window or consoles, but fans can anticipate further news as development progresses.