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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the forthcoming third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Shift Follows Lukewarm Feedback

Brinkman steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure notified employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had shown the necessity for a distinct direction.

The president stated that the developers is now reimagining the project with a revised approach, aiming to better meet community desires.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

This announcement echoes a similar move taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock development group.

Below is the complete text from the president's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just wrapped up your meeting - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented designers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re excited for that relationship to endure.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game playtest was informative. It confirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It uncovered the need for a more distinct brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the criticism to heart and revamped the title with a renewed vision - one that’s poised to achieve its potential to our players.

Our confidence in this project increases every day. To boost the remarkable progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce the new hire as the incoming Director of the team. After several months of discussions, he starts with us on next week.

Ben’s management and experience in the competitive gaming space is vast, having devoted the last 15 years creating and overseeing some of the most recognizable titles in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to keep witnessing the development of the game in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Head

The appointee currently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 alongside a early access event. Initially, the developers presented the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling evolution on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the description explains. "Take on the competition with new abilities, risks, and challenges that change every round. Will you leave securely with your collected items? Alternatively take a risk, put it on the line, and pray your group can achieve the highest spot? The option is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an announced debut schedule or consoles, but fans can anticipate additional details as production progresses.