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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Shift Comes After Mixed Response

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming initial reveal last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure notified employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had revealed the need for a distinct direction.

The president stated that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a refreshed vision, aiming to address gamer demands.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement echoes a comparable move taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the complete text from Ismailer's announcement:

Team—

I understand you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a message, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative designers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re eager for that relationship to continue.”

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

The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was revealing. It affirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the requirement for a more distinct identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the input to mind and reimagined the title with a renewed goal - one that’s ready to achieve its potential to our fans.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To boost the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome Ben Brinkman as the latest Lead of 31st Union. Following some time of talks, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His management and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having dedicated the last 15 years producing and overseeing some of the most recognizable series in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in greeting him in the coming days. We are all eager to keep observing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the time to ahead.

The President

Background of the New Leader

Brinkman presently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously was employed at major gaming companies in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 together with a early access event. At the time, 31st Union presented the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling advancement on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch reads. "Take on the competition with fresh skills, challenges, and tests that change every session. Do you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, gamble everything, and pray your squad can secure victory? The choice is yours."

The game has not yet received an announced debut schedule or platforms, but players can anticipate further news as development continues.