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The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Transition Comes After Mixed Feedback

Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming unveiling last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure informed staff about this strategic move through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had revealed the requirement for a distinct game identity.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now overhauling the project with a revised approach, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Hires

This announcement echoes a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the full content from Ismailer's memo:

Dear Team—

I know you all just finished your town hall - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and innovative creators we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re eager for that partnership to continue.”

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

The player input from last autumn’s the game testing phase was informative. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It revealed the requirement for a clearer identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the feedback to mind and reimagined Project ETHOS with a refreshed direction - one that’s ready to achieve its potential to our players.

Our confidence in this project grows every day. To further the outstanding development you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of the team. After a period of talks, he officially joins us on next week.

His leadership and background in the PVP shooter field is vast, having devoted the recent years creating and leading some of the most popular franchises in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in greeting Ben soon. We are all eager to continue witnessing the evolution of the game in the time to ahead.

David

Background of the New Head

The appointee currently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in last year alongside a early access event. At the time, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative evolution on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch explains. "Challenge the competition with fresh skills, risks, and obstacles that shift every round. Do you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and hope your squad can secure victory? The choice is up to you."

The game has not yet received an official launch window or platforms, but fans can look forward to more updates as creation advances.