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The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Transition Comes After Lukewarm Feedback

Brinkman assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified staff about this decision through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had revealed the requirement for a clearer direction.

The president noted that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to satisfy community desires.

A Pattern of Key Hires

This announcement follows a comparable move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock development group.

Below is the full message from Ismailer's communication:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just completed your gathering - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a update, I stated the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most driven and creative developers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to endure.”

Through your commitment and versatility, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It confirmed the promise of a action-packed game but made clear we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the requirement for a sharper identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the feedback to mind and reimagined the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s poised to deliver on its potential to our players.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To boost the incredible development you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of the team. After some time of discussions, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.

His management and expertise in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having devoted the last 15 years producing and leading some of the most well-known titles in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in greeting Ben soon. We are all excited to persist observing the development of the game in the months to follow.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman currently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in last year alongside a community playtest. At the time, the developers portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the description states. "Challenge the competition with fresh skills, challenges, and tests that shift every session. Will you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively go big, risk it all, and trust your team can earn top ranking? The decision is yours."

Project Ethos has not yet received an confirmed debut schedule or platforms, but players can anticipate more updates as production advances.