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The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Follows Poor Feedback

Brinkman steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified staff about this strategic move through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had indicated the necessity for a distinct game identity.

Ismailer noted that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to better meet player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

This announcement mirrors a similar move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise development group.

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

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented designers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that partnership to persist.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last fall’s the game demo was informative. It confirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It revealed the necessity for a sharper vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the input to consideration and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s ready to fulfill its potential to our audience.

Our confidence in this project grows every day. To further the outstanding progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. Following several months of talks, he officially joins us on next week.

His management and background in the PVP shooter field is vast, having dedicated the recent years developing and leading some of the most well-known titles in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in receiving Ben soon. We are all excited to continue seeing the development of the game in the time to ahead.

David

Experience of the New Head

The appointee presently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in last year alongside a early access event. Then, 31st Union portrayed the title 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 fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch states. "Take on the opponents with new abilities, challenges, and obstacles that shift every match. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and hope your group can secure victory? The option is up to you."

The game has not yet received an announced debut schedule or consoles, but fans can look forward to further news as creation progresses.