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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Transition Comes After Mixed Reception

The new appointee assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster early showing last autumn.

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

Ismailer noted that the developers is now overhauling the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to better meet community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions

The news follows a comparable step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the complete text from the president's announcement:

Team—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and talented creators we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that relationship to persist.”

With your dedication and versatility, particularly over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game demo was informative. It affirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the need for a more distinct vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the criticism to heart and overhauled the title with a renewed vision - one that’s poised to deliver on its ambition to our audience.

The trust in Project ETHOS grows every day. To advance the outstanding development you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome the new hire as the new Studio Head of 31st Union. After a period of discussions, he starts with us on the specified date.

His guidance and background in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having devoted the past decade and a half producing and overseeing some of the most popular franchises in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

Please join me in receiving Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to continue observing the progress of the game in the months to follow.

David

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman currently serves in the role of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 together with a public demo. Initially, the developers portrayed the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the description states. "Face the rivals with new abilities, risks, and obstacles that change every session. Will you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, gamble everything, and hope your group can earn top ranking? The choice is up to you."

Project Ethos does not have an official release date or consoles, but enthusiasts can anticipate further news as development progresses.