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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Comes After Mixed Reception

Brinkman steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had indicated the requirement for a distinct direction.

The president stated that the developers is now overhauling the project with a revised vision, aiming to better meet community desires.

Trend of Strategic Recruitment

The news follows a similar move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the complete content from Ismailer's communication:

Team—

I understand you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Previously I shared you all a message, I stated the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most driven and talented designers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that relationship to persist.”

With your dedication and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game demo was enlightening. It validated the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It revealed the requirement for a sharper vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the feedback to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a revitalized vision - one that’s ready to fulfill its potential to our fans.

The belief in this project strengthens every day. To boost the incredible advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce the new hire as the new Director of 31st Union. Following a period of conversations, Ben comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

His guidance and experience in the competitive gaming genre is considerable, having dedicated the past decade and a half creating and leading some of the most well-known titles in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in greeting Ben next week. We are all looking forward to continue witnessing the development of the game in the weeks to come.

David

Experience of the New Leader

The appointee presently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in last year together with a community playtest. Initially, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling step forward on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch explains. "Face the competition with new abilities, risks, and tests that evolve every round. Do you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Alternatively take a risk, put it on the line, and pray your team can earn top ranking? The choice is in your hands."

The game has not yet received an confirmed launch window or supported systems, but fans can anticipate additional details as creation advances.