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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 working on the anticipated over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Transition Follows Lukewarm Response

The new appointee steps into the role of studio head at the development studio following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure notified employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the need for a distinct direction.

Ismailer noted that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed vision, aiming to better meet community desires.

Trend of Strategic Acquisitions

The news follows a similar step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock development group.

Here is the entire text from the president's memo:

Team—

I understand you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as excited 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 dedicated and innovative creators we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to continue.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s the game testing phase was revealing. It validated the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the requirement for a more distinct vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You took the criticism to mind and reimagined Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s poised to deliver on its potential to our players.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the remarkable progress you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome Ben Brinkman as the latest Lead of 31st Union. After a period of conversations, Ben starts with us on next week.

Ben’s management and experience in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having devoted the recent years producing and managing some of the most well-known franchises in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in greeting him in the coming days. We are all looking forward to keep witnessing the development of the game in the weeks to follow.

The President

Experience of the New Leader

The appointee presently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously worked at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Concept

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 alongside a community playtest. At the time, the developers described the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting advancement on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the official summary reads. "Take on the competition with new abilities, stakes, and tests that evolve every session. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, put it on the line, and hope your team can earn top ranking? The decision is up to you."

The game has not yet received an announced debut schedule or platforms, but fans can look forward to further news as development advances.