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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Follows Lukewarm Response

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure informed team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had revealed the necessity for a more defined vision.

The president expressed that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a revised approach, aiming to satisfy community desires.

Trend of Key Recruitment

The news mirrors a similar 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 the president's announcement:

Team—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a note, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and creative creators we have had the chance to work with - and we’re eager for that relationship to continue.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, especially over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The player input from last fall’s the game testing phase was informative. It confirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the requirement for a sharper brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the criticism to mind and revamped the title with a refreshed goal - one that’s poised to achieve its promise to our fans.

The belief in this project increases every day. To advance the incredible development you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of the team. After some time of talks, Ben starts with us on Monday, October 20.

His leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming field is considerable, having dedicated the recent years creating and overseeing some of the most well-known franchises in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in welcoming Ben next week. We are all looking forward to continue witnessing the progress of the game in the time to ahead.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman presently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Concept

Project Ethos was revealed in last year in conjunction with a early access event. At the time, the developers described the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative advancement 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 match your preferred approach," the description states. "Take on the competition with fresh skills, challenges, and challenges that shift every round. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively aim high, gamble everything, and trust your group can achieve the highest spot? The decision is in your hands."

The game lacks an official release date or consoles, but fans can look forward to further news as production progresses.