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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Shift Comes After Mixed Response

The new appointee steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure updated staff about this organizational change through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had revealed the requirement for a distinct vision.

The president noted that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed approach, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

The news follows a similar action taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the complete content from the president's communication:

Team—

I understand you all just completed your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a note, I stated the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative developers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to persist.”

With your dedication and versatility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last fall’s the game demo was enlightening. It affirmed the promise of a action-packed game but indicated we still had improvements to make. It revealed the requirement for a more distinct brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the input to mind and revamped Project ETHOS with a refreshed direction - one that’s poised to achieve its potential to our players.

Our confidence in this project increases every day. To further the remarkable development you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome the new hire as the latest Lead of the team. After several months of talks, Ben starts with us on the specified date.

Ben’s leadership and experience in the PVP shooter genre is extensive, having devoted the last 15 years developing and overseeing some of the most well-known titles in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in welcoming him soon. We are all looking forward to persist witnessing the evolution of the game in the time to come.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

The appointee currently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 alongside a early access event. At the time, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting evolution 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 game's pitch reads. "Face the competition with fresh skills, stakes, and tests that evolve every round. Do you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and pray your team can earn top ranking? The decision is up to you."

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