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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Transition Comes After Lukewarm Response

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure informed staff about this strategic move through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had shown the need for a distinct game identity.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Hires

The news follows a similar step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock development group.

Below is the entire message from the president's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just completed your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and talented designers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that partnership to continue.”

Given your hard work and versatility, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was revealing. It validated the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the necessity for a clearer brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the feedback to heart and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s ready to achieve its potential to our players.

The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To further the remarkable development you’ve made, I’m excited to announce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. After some time of conversations, he officially joins us on the specified date.

His management and background in the competitive gaming genre is extensive, having dedicated the past decade and a half creating and overseeing some of the most popular franchises in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in receiving Ben next week. We are all looking forward to keep witnessing the development of Project ETHOS in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Background of the New Leader

The appointee presently serves in the position of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously was employed at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in last year in conjunction with a public demo. Then, 31st Union presented the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting 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 suit your personal playstyle," the official summary explains. "Challenge the rivals with unique powers, risks, and obstacles that change every match. Will you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively aim high, gamble everything, and hope your group can earn top ranking? The decision is yours."

Project Ethos does not have an confirmed debut schedule or platforms, but enthusiasts can look forward to more updates as development advances.