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The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Management Change Follows Mixed Response

The new appointee assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified team members about this strategic move through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had revealed the need for a distinct game identity.

The president stated that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a renewed vision, aiming to address community desires.

Trend of Strategic Hires

The news follows a similar action taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire content from Ismailer's communication:

Team—

I know you all just completed your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Previously I shared you all a note, I stated the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most driven and creative creators we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to continue.”

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

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but made clear we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the necessity for a sharper identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the criticism to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s positioned to deliver on its potential to our audience.

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To boost the remarkable advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce the new hire as the incoming Studio Head of the team. After some time of discussions, Ben starts with us on the specified date.

His leadership and experience in the competitive gaming field is considerable, having dedicated the last 15 years developing and leading some of the most popular franchises in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in greeting Ben next week. We are all looking forward to persist observing the evolution of the game in the months to ahead.

David

Background of the New Head

The appointee currently holds the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in last year alongside a public demo. At the time, 31st Union presented the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative advancement on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch reads. "Challenge the opponents with unique powers, stakes, and challenges that evolve every session. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and hope your team can achieve the highest spot? The choice is in your hands."

Project Ethos lacks an announced debut schedule or supported systems, but fans can look forward to further news as production progresses.