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The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Transition Comes After Lukewarm Reception

Brinkman steps into the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure informed employees about this decision through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the need for a clearer vision.

The president stated that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to address player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Hires

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

Here is the complete content from Ismailer's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a note, I stated the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and talented designers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to continue.”

With your dedication and versatility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last fall’s the game testing phase was informative. It affirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but made clear we still had improvements to make. It revealed the need for a more distinct identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the input to heart and reimagined Project ETHOS with a revitalized goal - one that’s poised to achieve its potential to our fans.

The belief in this project strengthens every day. To advance the incredible development you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce the new hire as the new Director of the team. After a period of discussions, he comes aboard us on next week.

His guidance and experience in the competitive gaming space is extensive, having spent the last 15 years producing and overseeing some of the most well-known titles in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in greeting Ben soon. We are all looking forward to persist seeing the progress of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.

David

Experience of the New Leader

Brinkman presently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at major gaming companies in various production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Concept

The upcoming game was revealed in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. Initially, 31st Union described the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling evolution on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the official summary explains. "Challenge the competition with unique powers, stakes, and challenges that change every session. Do you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Or aim high, put it on the line, and pray your team can secure victory? The choice is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an confirmed release date or platforms, but fans can look forward to further news as production continues.