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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Comes After Mixed Response

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed staff about this strategic move through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had revealed the necessity for a distinct vision.

The president expressed that the developers is now reimagining the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to satisfy community desires.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

The news mirrors a comparable step taken by the publisher in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock development group.

Here is the entire message from Ismailer's announcement:

Team—

I know you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most driven and creative designers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to endure.”

With your dedication and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was informative. It validated the appeal of a action-packed game but made clear we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the necessity for a more distinct vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You took the input to consideration and overhauled the title with a renewed goal - one that’s positioned to fulfill its promise to our audience.

The trust in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To boost the incredible development you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Director of 31st Union. After a period of talks, Ben officially joins us on next week.

Ben’s management and background in the competitive gaming genre is considerable, having spent the recent years developing and overseeing some of the most well-known series in gaming, 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 continue observing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the time to come.

David

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman currently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Concept

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 alongside a community playtest. Initially, 31st Union presented the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling step forward on the category."

"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. "Take on the rivals with new abilities, risks, and challenges that evolve every round. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or aim high, put it on the line, and hope your group can earn top ranking? The choice is yours."

The game lacks an official debut schedule or platforms, but players can anticipate additional details as development progresses.