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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Follows Poor Response

Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster early showing last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure updated employees about this decision through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the necessity for a more defined direction.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to satisfy community desires.

Trend of Key Hires

The news mirrors a comparable step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the complete text from Ismailer's communication:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just wrapped up your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative creators we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re excited for that relationship to endure.”

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

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was informative. It validated the appeal of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the requirement for a clearer brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the criticism to mind and overhauled the title with a renewed direction - one that’s positioned to achieve its ambition to our audience.

Our confidence in this project grows every day. To further the remarkable advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. After some time of conversations, he officially joins us on the specified date.

Ben’s guidance and experience in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having dedicated the recent years producing and overseeing some of the most well-known franchises in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in greeting him in the coming days. We are all eager to persist observing the evolution of the game in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Background of the New Head

The appointee presently holds the role of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in last year alongside a early access event. Then, the developers portrayed the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting advancement on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the description reads. "Challenge the rivals with new abilities, stakes, and challenges that change every match. Will you withdraw carefully with your valuable rewards? Alternatively aim high, put it on the line, and trust your team can earn top ranking? The option is up to you."

Project Ethos has not yet received an confirmed release date or consoles, but enthusiasts can look forward to more updates as development continues.