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The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently working on the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Follows Mixed Response

The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's disappointing unveiling last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed team members about this strategic move through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had indicated the need for a more defined direction.

The president stated that the team is now overhauling the project with a revised vision, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

Trend of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement echoes a comparable step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the full message from Ismailer's announcement:

Team—

I understand you all just completed your town hall - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a note, I stated the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most driven and innovative developers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to continue.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It confirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the need for a clearer brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the input to consideration and revamped Project ETHOS with a revitalized goal - one that’s poised to fulfill its promise to our fans.

Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To advance the remarkable advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the latest Director of the team. After some time of discussions, Ben officially joins us on next week.

His leadership and background in the competitive gaming space is vast, having spent the recent years producing and overseeing some of the most well-known franchises in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in welcoming him next week. We are all eager to keep observing the progress of the game in the months to follow.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman presently holds the position of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He previously was employed at major gaming companies in various production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, prior to that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Concept

Project Ethos was revealed in last year in conjunction with a early access event. Then, the developers portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting evolution on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch explains. "Take on the opponents with new abilities, challenges, and obstacles that shift every session. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively go big, risk it all, and pray your team can earn top ranking? The choice is up to you."

The game does not have an official launch window or platforms, but fans can look forward to further news as creation advances.