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The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Follows Poor Feedback

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster unveiling last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had indicated the need for a clearer vision.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a revised approach, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement echoes a comparable action taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

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

Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a note, I stated the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and creative developers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re excited for that relationship to endure.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was revealing. It affirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had refinements needed. It revealed the necessity for a clearer identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the criticism to heart and overhauled Project ETHOS with a revitalized direction - one that’s ready to achieve its potential to our players.

The trust in this project increases every day. To further the remarkable progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Director of the team. Following some time of conversations, he starts with us on Monday, October 20.

His leadership and background in the PVP shooter space is vast, having devoted the recent years creating and leading some of the most well-known franchises in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in receiving Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to continue witnessing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the time to ahead.

David

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman currently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously was employed at major gaming companies in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Concept

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 alongside a public demo. At the time, 31st Union presented the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the description reads. "Challenge the rivals with new abilities, risks, and tests that evolve every match. Do you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, risk it all, and pray your team can achieve the highest spot? The decision is in your hands."

Project Ethos does not have an announced debut schedule or consoles, but fans can expect additional details as creation advances.