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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the anticipated over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Follows Poor Feedback

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed staff about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had revealed the necessity for a distinct direction.

Ismailer noted that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed vision, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Hires

The news mirrors a comparable move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the full text from Ismailer's memo:

Dear Team—

I know you all just finished your meeting - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and talented developers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re excited for that partnership to persist.”

With your dedication and versatility, especially over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It affirmed the promise of a action-packed game but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the requirement for a sharper vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the input to heart and revamped the title with a renewed direction - one that’s poised to fulfill its ambition to our audience.

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To further the incredible progress you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. After several months of talks, he officially joins us on the specified date.

Ben’s guidance and experience in the PVP shooter space is vast, having devoted the recent years creating and overseeing some of the most recognizable franchises in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in receiving him next week. We are all eager to persist observing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman presently serves in the role of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had periods at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in last year together with a early access event. Initially, the developers portrayed the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting evolution on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch states. "Face the competition with unique powers, risks, and tests that shift every session. Will you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, risk it all, and trust your team can achieve the highest spot? The decision is yours."

The game has not yet received an confirmed debut schedule or supported systems, but enthusiasts can expect more updates as development continues.