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The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Shift Follows Poor Reception

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

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated staff about this decision through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a clearer direction.

The president expressed that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to address player expectations.

Trend of Strategic Hires

This announcement mirrors a similar action taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

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

Team—

I know you all just completed your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and innovative developers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to persist.”

With your dedication and adaptability, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game testing phase was enlightening. It confirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the necessity for a sharper brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You took the feedback to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s poised to fulfill its promise to our players.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the outstanding development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. Following some time of discussions, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His management and experience in the competitive gaming field is vast, having spent the past decade and a half producing and managing some of the most popular titles in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to keep observing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the time to ahead.

The President

Experience of the New Head

The appointee currently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 together with a public demo. At the time, 31st Union presented the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting advancement on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the official summary explains. "Challenge the rivals with unique powers, risks, and obstacles that evolve every round. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively aim high, gamble everything, and hope your team can secure victory? The option is yours."

The game has not yet received an confirmed release date or platforms, but enthusiasts can anticipate further news as development advances.