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The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Change Follows Lukewarm Reception

Brinkman steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster unveiling last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure updated staff about this decision through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had indicated the necessity for a distinct vision.

Ismailer expressed that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed vision, aiming to satisfy community desires.

A Pattern of Key Acquisitions

This announcement follows a similar step taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise development group.

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

Team—

I understand you all just completed your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a note, I stated the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and creative developers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to persist.”

Given your hard work and versatility, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It validated the promise of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the need for a sharper identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the feedback to consideration and revamped Project ETHOS with a refreshed vision - one that’s poised to fulfill its promise to our fans.

The belief in Project ETHOS grows every day. To boost the remarkable progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome Ben Brinkman as the latest Director of the team. After several months of discussions, he comes aboard us on next week.

His management and experience in the PVP shooter field is extensive, having spent the last 15 years producing and leading some of the most well-known franchises in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in greeting him soon. We are all eager to persist witnessing the evolution of the game in the time to follow.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Head

The appointee currently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Concept

The upcoming game was unveiled in last year together with a community playtest. Initially, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting step forward on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch explains. "Take on the opponents with new abilities, challenges, and tests that shift every round. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively take a risk, gamble everything, and trust your group can earn top ranking? The decision is yours."

The game lacks an confirmed launch window or consoles, but fans can expect additional details as production advances.