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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 working on the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Transition Comes After Lukewarm Response

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had indicated the need for a distinct game identity.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now overhauling the project with a renewed focus, aiming to address player expectations.

Trend of Strategic Hires

The news echoes a similar step taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock development group.

Below is the entire content from Ismailer's memo:

Team—

I understand you all just finished your town hall - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most driven and talented creators we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re excited for that relationship to endure.”

With your dedication and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game demo was enlightening. It confirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had work to do. It uncovered the need for a clearer brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the input to heart and overhauled the title with a revitalized vision - one that’s poised to fulfill its ambition to our players.

The belief in this project grows every day. To boost the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce the new hire as the latest Lead of the team. Following several months of talks, he officially joins us on next week.

Ben’s guidance and expertise in the PVP shooter space is vast, having devoted the past decade and a half developing and overseeing some of the most well-known titles in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in welcoming him next week. We are all excited to persist seeing the development of Project ETHOS in the weeks to come.

David

Background of the Incoming Head

Brinkman presently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 alongside a early access event. Then, 31st Union described the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the official summary reads. "Take on the competition with fresh skills, stakes, and obstacles that change every round. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively go big, put it on the line, and hope your team can secure victory? The decision is yours."

The game lacks an announced release date or platforms, but players can expect more updates as development continues.