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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Transition Follows Poor Feedback

The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure notified staff about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the need for a distinct game identity.

The president noted that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to satisfy community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement echoes a similar move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the complete content from Ismailer's memo:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just completed your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Previously I shared you all a message, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative developers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that partnership to endure.”

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

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It confirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the requirement for a sharper identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the input to mind and revamped the title with a renewed goal - one that’s poised to deliver on its promise to our fans.

The trust in Project ETHOS grows every day. To boost the remarkable advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the new Studio Head of 31st Union. Following some time of conversations, he comes aboard us on the specified date.

His leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having spent the recent years developing and overseeing some of the most popular franchises in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in receiving him soon. We are all eager to persist seeing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to ahead.

David

Experience of the New Head

The appointee presently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier was employed at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in last year alongside a early access event. At the time, 31st Union described the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the official summary states. "Face the competition with new abilities, risks, and tests that change every session. Do you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and pray your team can secure victory? The decision is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an official launch window or supported systems, but fans can expect more updates as production advances.