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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Change Follows Poor Feedback

The new appointee 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' lackluster unveiling last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a more defined direction.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

The news echoes a comparable move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock development group.

Below is the entire text from the president's announcement:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just finished your town hall - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a update, I stated the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and creative designers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to endure.”

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

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was enlightening. It confirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had work to do. It uncovered the requirement for a sharper brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the input to heart and revamped the title with a renewed direction - one that’s positioned to fulfill its ambition to our players.

The trust in this project strengthens every day. To advance the remarkable progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce the new hire as the new Studio Head of the team. After some time of conversations, he comes aboard us on the specified date.

Ben’s management and background in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having spent the recent years creating and overseeing some of the most recognizable franchises in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in receiving him in the coming days. We are all eager to keep witnessing the progress of Project ETHOS in the months to follow.

David

Background of the New Head

The appointee currently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in last year together with a early access event. Initially, 31st Union presented the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting advancement on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the official summary explains. "Challenge the competition with new abilities, challenges, and challenges that change every match. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, put it on the line, and trust your team can earn top ranking? The option is in your hands."

The game does not have an confirmed launch window or consoles, but fans can anticipate additional details as development advances.