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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Comes After Mixed Feedback

The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified staff about this decision through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had indicated the need for a distinct direction.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now reimagining the project with a renewed focus, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

Trend of Key Recruitment

The news follows a comparable action taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock development group.

Below is the full message from the president's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Previously I shared you all a message, I expressed the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative developers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re eager for that relationship to persist.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game testing phase was revealing. It affirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had work to do. It revealed the requirement for a sharper vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the input to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a refreshed vision - one that’s positioned to achieve its promise to our players.

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To boost the remarkable progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome Ben Brinkman as the incoming Director of the team. After a period of conversations, he comes aboard us on the specified date.

Ben’s leadership and background in the PVP shooter space is vast, having devoted the last 15 years creating and overseeing some of the most recognizable titles in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in receiving Ben soon. We are all looking forward to persist observing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the weeks to ahead.

David

Background of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman presently holds the role of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier was employed at major gaming companies in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in last year alongside a early access event. Then, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting step forward on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary reads. "Face the competition with fresh skills, risks, and challenges that shift every session. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, put it on the line, and hope your squad can earn top ranking? The choice is up to you."

The game has not yet received an announced debut schedule or platforms, but players can expect further news as production advances.