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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Shift Follows Lukewarm Reception

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had indicated the need for a more defined direction.

The president expressed that the developers is now refining the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to better meet community desires.

Trend of Strategic Recruitment

The news follows a comparable step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the full message from the president's memo:

Team—

I know you all just completed your gathering - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and talented designers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re excited for that partnership to continue.”

With your dedication and versatility, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was enlightening. It validated the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the need for a clearer identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the criticism to heart and reimagined the title with a revitalized direction - one that’s positioned to deliver on its ambition to our audience.

The belief in this project strengthens every day. To further the remarkable advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce the new hire as the new Director of the team. After some time of discussions, he starts with us on next week.

His leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having dedicated the recent years creating and managing some of the most well-known franchises in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in receiving Ben soon. We are all excited to continue witnessing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to follow.

The President

Background of the New Head

Brinkman presently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He previously worked at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Concept

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 in conjunction with a early access event. Then, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting advancement on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the description states. "Face the competition with unique powers, risks, and obstacles that shift every round. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and pray your team can achieve the highest spot? The decision is yours."

The game lacks an announced debut schedule or platforms, but players can look forward to more updates as creation advances.