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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Transition Follows Poor Response

Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing unveiling last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed staff about this strategic move through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the requirement for a more defined direction.

The president noted that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to satisfy community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions

This announcement follows a comparable step taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock development group.

Below is the full text from Ismailer's communication:

Dear Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your meeting - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a message, I stated the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative developers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to persist.”

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

The gamer responses from last autumn’s the game testing phase was informative. It confirmed the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the necessity for a more distinct identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the criticism to heart and reimagined the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s poised to fulfill its potential to our audience.

The belief in this project grows every day. To advance the remarkable development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of the team. After a period of conversations, Ben comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

His leadership and experience in the PVP shooter field is considerable, having spent the recent years developing and managing some of the most recognizable series in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in welcoming Ben next week. We are all eager to persist observing the development of the game in the time to ahead.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman currently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at major gaming companies in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Vision

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 together with a community playtest. Then, the developers presented the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward on the category."

"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. "Challenge the rivals with fresh skills, risks, and tests that change every session. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Or aim high, risk it all, and pray your squad can earn top ranking? The option is yours."

The game does not have an official debut schedule or platforms, but enthusiasts can look forward to further news as development progresses.