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The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to direct the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently working on the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Comes After Lukewarm Reception

Brinkman steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure informed team members about this strategic move through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had revealed the need for a distinct vision.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now reimagining the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to better meet player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Hires

This announcement follows a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the entire text from Ismailer's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Previously I shared you all a note, I stated the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative developers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to continue.”

With your dedication and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It confirmed the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the need for a clearer identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the feedback to mind and reimagined the title with a renewed vision - one that’s positioned to deliver on its ambition to our fans.

The trust in this project strengthens every day. To further the remarkable development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of the team. Following some time of talks, Ben starts with us on next week.

His guidance and expertise in the PVP shooter field is extensive, having dedicated the last 15 years developing and overseeing some of the most well-known titles in gaming, for example the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in greeting him next week. We are all looking forward to persist seeing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman presently holds the position of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in last year together with a community playtest. Then, the developers described the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling evolution on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the description reads. "Challenge the competition with unique powers, stakes, and obstacles that shift every session. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and trust your squad can earn top ranking? The option is in your hands."

Project Ethos has not yet received an confirmed release date or consoles, but enthusiasts can look forward to more updates as development progresses.