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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Change Comes After Mixed Response

The new appointee steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified employees about this strategic move through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the necessity for a distinct direction.

The president stated that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to address community desires.

A Pattern of Key Hires

This announcement echoes a similar step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the complete text from the president's announcement:

Team—

I know you all just completed your gathering - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a message, I stated the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative developers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to continue.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, especially over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was informative. It affirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It revealed the necessity for a sharper brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the criticism to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a revitalized vision - one that’s ready to deliver on its potential to our audience.

The belief in this project increases every day. To advance the outstanding progress you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce Ben Brinkman as the new Studio Head of 31st Union. Following some time of conversations, Ben starts with us on next week.

Ben’s management and background in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having spent the last 15 years creating and managing some of the most well-known series in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in welcoming Ben soon. We are all excited to keep seeing the progress of the game in the weeks to ahead.

David

Experience of the New Leader

Brinkman currently holds the role of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He previously was employed at major gaming companies in various production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, prior to that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Concept

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 together with a community playtest. Then, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting advancement on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch explains. "Take on the opponents with fresh skills, risks, and obstacles that evolve every session. Will you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Alternatively take a risk, gamble everything, and hope your group can secure victory? The decision is yours."

The game does not have an announced debut schedule or platforms, but players can expect additional details as production progresses.