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The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Shift Comes After Lukewarm Reception

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing unveiling last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the requirement for a clearer game identity.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

Trend of Strategic Acquisitions

This announcement follows a comparable action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the BioShock development group.

Here is the full text from Ismailer's memo:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Previously I shared you all a update, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and innovative designers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to persist.”

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

The gamer responses from last autumn’s the game playtest was informative. It validated the appeal of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had refinements needed. It revealed the requirement for a more distinct vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You took the input to mind and reimagined the title with a refreshed direction - one that’s ready to fulfill its promise to our players.

The trust in this project increases every day. To boost the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of the team. Following a period of conversations, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.

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

Let’s together in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all excited to persist observing the development of Project ETHOS in the time to ahead.

David

Background of the New Head

The appointee currently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 together with a community playtest. At the time, the developers portrayed the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling evolution on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the description reads. "Challenge the rivals with unique powers, challenges, and obstacles that shift every session. Will you leave securely with your collected items? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and trust your team can earn top ranking? The decision is yours."

The game does not have an confirmed launch window or supported systems, but players can anticipate additional details as production progresses.