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The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Follows Poor Response

The new appointee assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming initial reveal last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure updated team members about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had revealed the necessity for a more defined game identity.

The president stated that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

Trend of Strategic Acquisitions

This announcement follows a similar step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire content from the president's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just completed your meeting - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a message, I stated the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative developers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that relationship to continue.”

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

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but made clear we still had refinements needed. It revealed the requirement for a sharper identity.

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

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To advance the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. Following some time of conversations, he starts with us on next week.

His guidance and expertise in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having dedicated the recent years developing and overseeing some of the most popular titles in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in greeting him next week. We are all looking forward to continue witnessing the development of the game in the weeks to come.

David

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman presently holds the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Concept

Project Ethos was revealed in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. Initially, 31st Union presented the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward 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 game's pitch reads. "Challenge the opponents with fresh skills, risks, and challenges that change every round. Will you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Or take a risk, risk it all, and pray your team can earn top ranking? The decision is yours."

The game lacks an official release date or platforms, but fans can look forward to more updates as development advances.