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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Transition Follows Lukewarm Feedback

The new appointee assumes 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 early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed staff about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had revealed the need for a clearer direction.

The president expressed that the developers is now reimagining the project with a renewed approach, aiming to satisfy community desires.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

This announcement follows a comparable action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.

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

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just wrapped up your gathering - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most driven and creative creators we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to persist.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game testing phase was enlightening. It validated the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It revealed the necessity for a clearer vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the feedback to heart and overhauled Project ETHOS with a revitalized goal - one that’s poised to fulfill its potential to our audience.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS increases every day. To advance the incredible development you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome the new hire as the latest Director of 31st Union. Following a period of conversations, he comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s leadership and experience in the competitive gaming space is considerable, having spent the past decade and a half creating and overseeing some of the most well-known franchises in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

Please join me in receiving him soon. We are all eager to keep witnessing the progress of the game in the months to follow.

David

Experience of the Incoming Leader

The appointee presently holds the role of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, prior to that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Concept

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. At the time, the developers presented the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative evolution on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the official summary explains. "Face the competition with fresh skills, stakes, and obstacles that change every round. Will you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and pray your group can achieve the highest spot? The decision is yours."

Project Ethos does not have an official debut schedule or platforms, but players can look forward to further news as development continues.