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The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Change Follows Lukewarm Response

The new appointee steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster initial reveal last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure informed employees about this decision through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had indicated the need for a more defined game identity.

Ismailer stated that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

The news mirrors a similar step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

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

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just completed your gathering - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a update, 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 opportunity to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to endure.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It affirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the necessity for a clearer identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the criticism to heart and revamped the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s poised to achieve its promise to our fans.

The trust in this project increases every day. To advance the remarkable advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. Following several months of conversations, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.

Ben’s leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming field is vast, having dedicated the last 15 years creating and managing some of the most well-known series in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in receiving him next week. We are all excited to continue witnessing the development of Project ETHOS in the weeks to come.

David

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman presently serves in the role of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in last year in conjunction with a public demo. Then, the developers described the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting step forward on the style."

"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 official summary reads. "Take on the rivals with new abilities, challenges, and obstacles that shift every session. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively take a risk, put it on the line, and hope your squad can secure victory? The choice is in your hands."

The game does not have an official debut schedule or supported systems, but fans can anticipate more updates as development progresses.