The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.
Leadership Shift Comes After Poor Response
The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.
Recently, the company's top executive a key figure notified staff about this decision through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had revealed the necessity for a distinct vision.
The president noted that the team is now overhauling the project with a refreshed vision, aiming to better meet community desires.
A Pattern of Key Hires
This announcement mirrors a similar action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.
Below is the full content from Ismailer's announcement:
Hello Everyone—
I understand you all just finished your town hall - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative designers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to continue.”
With your dedication and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.
The gamer responses from last fall’s the game playtest was informative. It confirmed the potential of a action-packed game but told us we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the need for a sharper vision.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the feedback to mind and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s poised to deliver on its potential to our players.
The belief in this project strengthens every day. To boost the incredible development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome the new hire as the latest Director of the team. Following a period of talks, Ben comes aboard us on the specified date.
Ben’s management and expertise in the PVP shooter field is considerable, having dedicated the past decade and a half creating and leading some of the most popular titles in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.
I invite you all in welcoming him next week. We are all excited to continue observing the development of Project ETHOS in the time to ahead.
David
Experience of the New Leader
The appointee presently serves in the role of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at major gaming companies in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Game Information and Concept
The upcoming game was announced in October 2024 together with a public demo. At the time, 31st Union presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting advancement on the category."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary reads. "Challenge the competition with fresh skills, risks, and challenges that evolve every round. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and trust your team can secure victory? The option is in your hands."
Project Ethos has not yet received an announced debut schedule or platforms, but fans can expect additional details as development advances.