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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Follows Poor Response

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure updated team members about this decision through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a more defined game identity.

The president expressed that the team is now reimagining the project with a revised approach, aiming to better meet community desires.

Trend of Strategic Acquisitions

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

Below is the complete text from the president's memo:

Team—

I know you all just completed your gathering - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a note, I mentioned 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 partnership to continue.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s the game demo was enlightening. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the need for a more distinct identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the input to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s positioned to fulfill its promise to our players.

The belief in Project ETHOS grows every day. To further the remarkable progress you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce the new hire as the latest Lead of the team. Following some time of talks, he officially joins us on next week.

Ben’s leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming space is considerable, having devoted the recent years developing and leading some of the most popular series in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in receiving him next week. We are all looking forward to keep witnessing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the months to ahead.

The President

Background of the New Leader

Brinkman presently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was unveiled in last year in conjunction with a early access event. Then, the developers portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling advancement on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch states. "Face the competition with new abilities, stakes, and challenges that change every session. Will you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Alternatively go big, risk it all, and pray your squad can achieve the highest spot? The decision is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an official launch window or supported systems, but enthusiasts can expect more updates as creation continues.