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

Leadership Change Follows Mixed Feedback

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure notified staff about this decision through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had indicated the need for a distinct direction.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a revised approach, aiming to address player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement echoes a similar step taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock development group.

Here is the entire content from Ismailer's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Previously I shared you all a update, I stated the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative designers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to continue.”

With your dedication and versatility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The player input from last fall’s the game playtest was informative. It validated the potential of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the necessity for a clearer identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the input to consideration and revamped Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s positioned to achieve its ambition to our fans.

Our confidence in this project grows every day. To boost the incredible advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Studio Head of the team. Following several months of discussions, Ben comes aboard us on next week.

His leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having dedicated the recent years developing and leading some of the most well-known series in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in greeting Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to continue seeing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to ahead.

The President

Background of the New Leader

The appointee currently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 alongside a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union described the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch explains. "Challenge the opponents with fresh skills, stakes, and obstacles that evolve every round. Will you leave securely with your collected items? Alternatively aim high, put it on the line, and pray your team can earn top ranking? The choice is yours."

The game lacks an announced launch window or supported systems, but players can anticipate further news as development continues.