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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently working on the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Follows Poor Feedback

Brinkman steps into the role of studio head at the development studio following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster early showing last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated team members about this strategic move through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had indicated the need for a distinct vision.

The president expressed that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to address gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

This announcement follows a similar action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock development group.

Below is the complete content from the president's communication:

Dear Team—

I know you all just completed your meeting - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and creative developers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to persist.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game testing phase was informative. It validated the promise of a action-packed game but made clear we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the requirement for a clearer vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the feedback to consideration and reimagined the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s positioned to fulfill its promise to our fans.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS increases every day. To advance the remarkable advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of the team. After several months of talks, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.

Ben’s management and expertise in the competitive gaming space is vast, having devoted the recent years producing and overseeing some of the most popular series in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in receiving him soon. We are all excited to persist seeing the evolution of the game in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Background of the Incoming Head

The appointee presently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Vision

Project Ethos was announced in last year together with a public demo. Then, 31st Union presented the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward on the style."

"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 states. "Take on the opponents with new abilities, stakes, and obstacles that shift every match. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively go big, risk it all, and hope your group can secure victory? The choice is in your hands."

The game does not have an announced debut schedule or supported systems, but players can look forward to additional details as production progresses.