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The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Shift Comes After Mixed Reception

The new appointee assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure notified staff about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the need for a clearer game identity.

The president noted that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a refreshed vision, aiming to satisfy community desires.

A Pattern of Key Acquisitions

This announcement echoes a similar step taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock development group.

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

Team—

I know you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and creative designers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that relationship to continue.”

Through your commitment and versatility, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game playtest was informative. It affirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but made clear we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the necessity for a sharper brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You took the feedback to mind and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s poised to fulfill its promise to our fans.

The belief in this project increases every day. To further the outstanding development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the new Director of 31st Union. Following several months of discussions, Ben comes aboard us on the specified date.

His leadership and background in the PVP shooter field is vast, having spent the recent years producing and managing some of the most popular franchises in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in receiving Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to continue observing the development of Project ETHOS in the time to ahead.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman presently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, prior to that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 alongside a public demo. Then, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting step forward 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 suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch states. "Take on the competition with unique powers, risks, and obstacles that shift every match. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and hope your squad can secure victory? The option is up to you."

The game lacks an official release date or consoles, but fans can look forward to more updates as production advances.