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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Shift Comes After Mixed Response

Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure informed team members about this decision through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had shown the requirement for a distinct vision.

The president expressed that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

This announcement mirrors a similar move taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

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

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just completed your gathering - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and talented creators we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to continue.”

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

The community feedback from last fall’s the game demo was informative. It confirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the need for a sharper vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the criticism to mind and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s ready to deliver on its promise to our fans.

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To further the outstanding progress you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. After a period of talks, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s guidance and expertise in the PVP shooter field is vast, having dedicated the last 15 years producing and overseeing some of the most recognizable franchises in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in receiving Ben soon. We are all excited to keep observing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the months to ahead.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman presently serves in the position of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. Then, the developers presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting advancement on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the description explains. "Challenge the rivals with fresh skills, stakes, and tests that shift every match. Will you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Alternatively go big, put it on the line, and pray your team can achieve the highest spot? The option is in your hands."

Project Ethos does not have an announced release date or supported systems, but fans can anticipate additional details as development progresses.