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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Comes After Lukewarm Feedback

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster early showing last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure informed team members about this decision through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had indicated the need for a distinct vision.

The president stated that the team is now overhauling the project with a renewed approach, aiming to address community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

This announcement echoes a similar action taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the complete text from Ismailer's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just completed your meeting - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and innovative developers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to continue.”

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

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It validated the appeal of a action-packed game but made clear we still had improvements to make. It revealed the need for a sharper identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the feedback to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s poised to deliver on its potential to our players.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS increases every day. To further the outstanding development you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome the new hire as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. After several months of discussions, he comes aboard us on the specified date.

His leadership and experience in the competitive gaming field is extensive, having spent the past decade and a half creating and managing some of the most well-known series in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in welcoming him soon. We are all excited to persist seeing the evolution of the game in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Experience of the New Leader

The appointee presently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 together with a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union described the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the description explains. "Challenge the competition with new abilities, stakes, and challenges that shift every session. Do you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, risk it all, and hope your group can secure victory? The decision is up to you."

The game has not yet received an official release date or platforms, but enthusiasts can expect more updates as production progresses.