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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently working on the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Follows Lukewarm Feedback

The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed staff about this decision through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had revealed the requirement for a distinct game identity.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now refining the project with a revised approach, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions

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

Here is the entire content from Ismailer's memo:

Team—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a update, I stated the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and talented creators we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re excited for that partnership to endure.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The player input from last autumn’s the game playtest was informative. It affirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the need for a more distinct identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the input to heart and revamped the title with a renewed goal - one that’s ready to deliver on its ambition to our players.

The trust in this project increases every day. To advance the remarkable progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. Following several months of talks, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.

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

I invite you all in receiving Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to keep observing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.

David

Experience of the New Head

The appointee presently serves in the role of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Concept

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 in conjunction with a early access event. At the time, the developers presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling evolution on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the description states. "Challenge the competition with new abilities, risks, and challenges that evolve every round. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and hope your squad can earn top ranking? The option is up to you."

The game does not have an official launch window or consoles, but fans can anticipate additional details as production continues.