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

Leadership Shift Comes After Lukewarm Feedback

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming initial reveal last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure notified staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had revealed the need for a distinct vision.

Ismailer expressed that the team is now overhauling the project with a renewed focus, aiming to better meet player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

This announcement echoes a comparable move taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire text from the president's communication:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just wrapped up your gathering - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative creators we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to endure.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game demo was enlightening. It confirmed the promise of a action-packed game but indicated we still had work to do. It uncovered the requirement for a clearer vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the input to mind and revamped the title with a renewed vision - one that’s ready to deliver on its promise to our fans.

The belief in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the outstanding progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. After several months of discussions, he officially joins us on the specified date.

Ben’s leadership and experience in the competitive gaming genre is considerable, having spent the last 15 years developing and leading some of the most recognizable franchises in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in welcoming him in the coming days. We are all looking forward to persist witnessing the progress of the game in the time to ahead.

The President

Background of the New Head

Brinkman currently holds the role of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. Initially, the developers presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the official summary explains. "Challenge the rivals with new abilities, risks, and obstacles that change every round. Will you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively go big, put it on the line, and hope your team can achieve the highest spot? The option is up to you."

The game lacks an confirmed launch window or platforms, but players can look forward to further news as production continues.