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The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the anticipated over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Shift Follows Mixed Feedback

Brinkman 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' disappointing initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the requirement for a more defined vision.

The president noted that the team is now refining the project with a renewed focus, aiming to better meet player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Hires

This announcement mirrors a similar action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the complete content from the president's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just completed your town hall - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and talented designers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to continue.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had work to do. It uncovered the requirement for a sharper identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You took the feedback to mind and overhauled Project ETHOS with a revitalized direction - one that’s poised to achieve its ambition to our players.

The belief in this project strengthens every day. To advance the incredible progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce the new hire as the new Studio Head of 31st Union. After several months of conversations, Ben starts with us on next week.

His leadership and background in the competitive gaming genre is considerable, having dedicated the recent years producing and overseeing some of the most well-known series in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in welcoming Ben next week. We are all eager to continue observing the evolution of the game in the time to ahead.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Leader

The appointee currently holds the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in last year together with a early access event. Then, the developers described the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling advancement on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the description states. "Challenge the competition with unique powers, stakes, and challenges that shift every session. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and hope your group can earn top ranking? The choice is up to you."

The game has not yet received an announced launch window or platforms, but enthusiasts can anticipate additional details as development progresses.