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The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to lead the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently developing the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Comes After Mixed Response

Brinkman assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure informed staff about this strategic move through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had revealed the necessity for a more defined direction.

The president expressed that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to better meet community desires.

Trend of Strategic Recruitment

The news echoes a similar action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

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

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just wrapped up your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and talented designers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to endure.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was revealing. It confirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the requirement for a clearer brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the criticism to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a refreshed vision - one that’s positioned to achieve its potential to our fans.

The trust in this project increases every day. To boost the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of the team. Following several months of talks, he comes aboard us on the specified date.

His guidance and background in the competitive gaming space is extensive, having devoted the recent years developing and managing some of the most popular franchises in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in greeting him in the coming days. We are all eager to continue witnessing the evolution of the game in the weeks to follow.

The President

Experience of the New Leader

Brinkman currently holds the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at major gaming companies in various production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. At the time, the developers presented the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative evolution on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the description states. "Challenge the competition with new abilities, challenges, and tests that evolve every round. Will you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and pray your group can achieve the highest spot? The option is yours."

The game lacks an confirmed debut schedule or supported systems, but fans can look forward to additional details as creation advances.