🔗 Share this article

The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter 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 departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing unveiling last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure updated employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had revealed the need for a clearer game identity.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now overhauling the project with a renewed focus, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

The news follows a comparable action taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the complete text from the president's memo:

Team—

I know you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Previously I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most driven and innovative designers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re excited for that partnership to persist.”

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

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It confirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had work to do. It revealed the necessity for a sharper vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the feedback to consideration and overhauled the title with a revitalized vision - one that’s ready to achieve its promise to our audience.

The belief in this project increases every day. To boost the outstanding progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce the new hire as the latest Director of 31st Union. After a period of conversations, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.

Ben’s leadership and experience in the competitive gaming field is vast, having spent the past decade and a half creating and managing some of the most well-known series in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in greeting Ben soon. We are all eager to keep witnessing the evolution of the game in the time to ahead.

David

Background of the New Leader

The appointee presently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 together with a community playtest. Initially, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative advancement on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch reads. "Take on the opponents with fresh skills, challenges, and obstacles that evolve every round. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or aim high, put it on the line, and pray your squad can earn top ranking? The choice is in your hands."

The game has not yet received an official debut schedule or consoles, but enthusiasts can look forward to further news as creation continues.