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The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Shift Comes After Poor Response

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated staff about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the necessity for a more defined game identity.

Ismailer expressed that the team is now refining the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to address community desires.

Trend of Key Recruitment

The news mirrors a comparable step taken by the publisher in August, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock development group.

Here is the complete message from Ismailer's communication:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just completed your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Previously I shared you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented creators we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to persist.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It confirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the need for a more distinct vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the input to consideration and reimagined the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s positioned to achieve its potential to our players.

The trust in this project grows every day. To further the outstanding development you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce the new hire as the new Director of 31st Union. After several months of conversations, he comes aboard us on the specified date.

Ben’s leadership and background in the PVP shooter field is vast, having dedicated the recent years producing and managing some of the most well-known franchises in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in receiving Ben soon. We are all eager to continue seeing the progress of Project ETHOS in the time to ahead.

The President

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman currently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at major gaming companies in various development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in last year in conjunction with a public demo. Then, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the official summary explains. "Take on the rivals with fresh skills, stakes, and tests that evolve every match. Will you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, gamble everything, and pray your group can earn top ranking? The decision is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an confirmed release date or platforms, but enthusiasts can expect more updates as creation advances.