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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently working on the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Comes After Mixed Feedback

Brinkman steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster initial reveal last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure informed employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had indicated the need for a distinct game identity.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a refreshed vision, aiming to better meet player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

This announcement mirrors a comparable move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock development group.

Here is the entire text from Ismailer's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just finished your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a note, I stated the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and talented creators we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to continue.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was informative. It validated the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the necessity for a clearer vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the feedback to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a revitalized direction - one that’s ready to achieve its potential to our players.

The belief in Project ETHOS increases every day. To further the remarkable progress you’ve made, I’m excited to announce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of the team. After a period of discussions, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His guidance and experience in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having spent the last 15 years developing and leading some of the most popular series in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in greeting Ben next week. We are all eager to persist seeing the progress of Project ETHOS in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Experience of the New Leader

Brinkman currently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 alongside a community playtest. Initially, the developers portrayed the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative advancement on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the official summary explains. "Challenge the opponents with unique powers, stakes, and tests that shift every match. Will you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Alternatively take a risk, gamble everything, and trust your group can secure victory? The choice is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an announced launch window or consoles, but players can expect further news as development continues.