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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Shift Comes After Mixed Feedback

Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming unveiling last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified staff about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the need for a clearer direction.

The president noted that the team is now refining the project with a refreshed vision, aiming to address player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions

The news echoes a comparable move taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the entire message from Ismailer's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just finished your town hall - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most driven and talented developers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to persist.”

With your dedication and adaptability, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It validated the promise of a action-packed game but indicated we still had work to do. It revealed the necessity for a more distinct identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You took the feedback to mind and revamped the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s poised to achieve its ambition to our audience.

The trust in this project increases every day. To advance the incredible advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of the team. After some time of discussions, Ben officially joins us on next week.

Ben’s leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter field is vast, having spent the past decade and a half producing and managing some of the most well-known franchises in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in welcoming Ben soon. We are all excited to continue seeing the development of the game in the weeks to ahead.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman currently holds the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, earlier in his career, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 in conjunction with a early access event. Initially, the developers portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, 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! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the description reads. "Challenge the competition with unique powers, stakes, and obstacles that evolve every round. Do you leave securely with your valuable rewards? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and hope your team can earn top ranking? The option is yours."

The game has not yet received an official launch window or consoles, but enthusiasts can look forward to more updates as production advances.