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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Follows Mixed Response

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure informed employees about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the requirement for a more defined vision.

The president noted that the developers is now reimagining the project with a revised focus, aiming to satisfy community desires.

Trend of Strategic Acquisitions

This announcement echoes a comparable step taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the full text from the president's memo:

Dear Team—

I know you all just completed your gathering - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and creative designers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to persist.”

With your dedication and versatility, especially over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS testing phase was revealing. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the need for a more distinct vision.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the feedback to mind and overhauled Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s poised to fulfill its potential to our audience.

Our confidence in this project increases every day. To further the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to announce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. After some time of talks, he comes aboard us on next week.

His guidance and expertise in the PVP shooter space is considerable, having dedicated the past decade and a half developing and managing some of the most well-known titles in gaming, for example the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in receiving Ben soon. We are all looking forward to continue witnessing the development of the game in the time to come.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

The appointee currently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Concept

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 in conjunction with a community playtest. Initially, the developers described the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative evolution on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch explains. "Face the opponents with new abilities, challenges, and obstacles that change every round. Do you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Or aim high, risk it all, and hope your squad can earn top ranking? The decision is yours."

The game does not have an confirmed release date or platforms, but players can expect more updates as production progresses.