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The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Follows Lukewarm Feedback

Brinkman assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing early showing last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the requirement for a clearer game identity.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a refreshed vision, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Hires

This announcement follows a similar step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the complete message from Ismailer's memo:

Team—

I understand you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a note, I stated the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative developers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that partnership to persist.”

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

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game testing phase was informative. It validated the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the need for a sharper vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the input to mind and revamped Project ETHOS with a refreshed vision - one that’s ready to fulfill its ambition to our fans.

The belief in this project strengthens every day. To further the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of the team. After several months of talks, Ben comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

His management and experience in the competitive gaming genre is considerable, having dedicated the last 15 years producing and leading some of the most recognizable series in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in welcoming him soon. We are all looking forward to persist seeing the development of the game in the time to ahead.

David

Background of the New Head

The appointee presently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 alongside a public demo. Then, 31st Union presented the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting step forward on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the description reads. "Take on the opponents with unique powers, risks, and obstacles that evolve every round. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, gamble everything, and trust your group can achieve the highest spot? The decision is yours."

The game does not have an announced launch window or platforms, but enthusiasts can look forward to further news as production advances.