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The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Transition Comes After Mixed Feedback

Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had shown the necessity for a distinct direction.

The president expressed that the team is now overhauling the project with a renewed vision, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement mirrors a similar action taken by the publisher in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the complete message from the president's announcement:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a update, I stated the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented developers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to persist.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game playtest was informative. It confirmed the potential of a action-packed game but made clear we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the necessity for a sharper vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You took the criticism to mind and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s ready to achieve its ambition to our audience.

The belief in this project grows every day. To boost the remarkable progress you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce Ben Brinkman as the new Director of the team. After several months of conversations, he comes aboard us on next week.

His management and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having spent the past decade and a half creating and leading some of the most popular series in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in receiving him next week. We are all eager to persist seeing the progress of the game in the months to come.

David

Background of the New Leader

Brinkman currently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman previously was employed at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 together with a early access event. Then, 31st Union described the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling advancement 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 fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch states. "Take on the opponents with fresh skills, challenges, and tests that evolve every match. Do you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, put it on the line, and pray your group can achieve the highest spot? The choice is up to you."

Project Ethos lacks an confirmed launch window or platforms, but players can expect more updates as development continues.