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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Management Change Comes After Mixed Feedback

The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming unveiling last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure informed employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had indicated the necessity for a distinct game identity.

Ismailer noted that the team is now reimagining the project with a refreshed vision, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement follows a comparable step taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the complete message from Ismailer's memo:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. 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 developers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re eager for that relationship to endure.”

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

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It validated the promise of a action-packed game but made clear we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the need for a more distinct vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the criticism to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a revitalized goal - one that’s positioned to fulfill its promise to our players.

The belief in this project increases every day. To further the incredible development you’ve made, I’m excited to announce the new hire as the new Lead of 31st Union. After some time of talks, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His management and experience in the competitive gaming genre is considerable, having spent the recent years producing and leading some of the most popular titles in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in receiving Ben next week. We are all excited to persist witnessing the development of Project ETHOS in the weeks to ahead.

David

Experience of the New Head

The appointee presently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Vision

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 alongside a public demo. At the time, the developers presented the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting step forward on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch explains. "Face the opponents with fresh skills, risks, and tests that evolve every session. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and trust your squad can secure victory? The decision is in your hands."

The game has not yet received an official release date or supported systems, but fans can look forward to additional details as creation progresses.