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The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Comes After Poor Feedback

The new appointee assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had shown the requirement for a more defined direction.

Ismailer noted that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a refreshed focus, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

The news mirrors a similar move taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock development group.

Here is the full content from Ismailer's announcement:

Team—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a update, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and creative creators we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to continue.”

With your dedication and adaptability, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was revealing. It affirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had work to do. It uncovered the need for a more distinct identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the feedback to consideration and revamped Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s ready to achieve its ambition to our audience.

The trust in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To further the remarkable progress you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce the new hire as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. Following some time of talks, he starts with us on next week.

His guidance and expertise in the PVP shooter space is vast, having devoted the recent years developing and leading some of the most popular franchises in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in welcoming Ben soon. We are all excited to persist observing the development of the game in the weeks to come.

David

Experience of the New Leader

The appointee presently holds the position of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 together with a public demo. At the time, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting evolution on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the description states. "Challenge the rivals with fresh skills, risks, and challenges that shift every round. Will you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, risk it all, and trust your squad can achieve the highest spot? The choice is up to you."

Project Ethos lacks an announced release date or supported systems, but fans can look forward to more updates as creation advances.