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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Transition Follows Mixed Response

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster early showing last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure notified team members about this strategic move through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had shown the need for a more defined vision.

The president noted that the developers is now overhauling the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to better meet player expectations.

Trend of Key Hires

The news echoes a similar step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the entire message from Ismailer's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Previously I shared you all a message, I stated the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative creators we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to continue.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game testing phase was enlightening. It affirmed the promise of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the need for a clearer brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the feedback to consideration and revamped Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s poised to fulfill its promise to our fans.

The trust in this project increases every day. To boost the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome Ben Brinkman as the latest Director of the team. Following some time of discussions, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His leadership and background in the PVP shooter genre is extensive, having spent the last 15 years creating and managing some of the most popular series in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in welcoming him next week. We are all looking forward to keep witnessing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the months to ahead.

David

Background of the New Head

The appointee presently serves in the position of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 alongside a public demo. Then, 31st Union presented the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch explains. "Take on the competition with unique powers, stakes, and tests that change every session. Will you leave securely with your collected items? Or go big, gamble everything, and pray your group can achieve the highest spot? The option is up to you."

The game lacks an announced release date or consoles, but fans can expect more updates as development progresses.