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The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Shift Comes After Mixed Feedback

The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had indicated the necessity for a more defined game identity.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a renewed vision, aiming to better meet player expectations.

Trend of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement mirrors a similar move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the complete content from the president's memo:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a update, I stated the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and innovative developers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that partnership to endure.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It confirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the necessity for a clearer brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the criticism to consideration and reimagined the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s positioned to fulfill its ambition to our audience.

The belief in Project ETHOS grows every day. To boost the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce the new hire as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. After a period of conversations, he starts with us on Monday, October 20.

His leadership and background in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having dedicated the recent years creating and overseeing some of the most recognizable franchises in gaming, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in welcoming him soon. We are all excited to persist seeing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the time to come.

David

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman presently serves in the role of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in last year alongside a community playtest. Then, 31st Union presented the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting evolution on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch states. "Take on the competition with new abilities, risks, and challenges that change every session. Will you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and hope your team can earn top ranking? The option is up to you."

Project Ethos does not have an official debut schedule or supported systems, but fans can look forward to further news as production advances.