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The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Change Follows Lukewarm Response

Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster initial reveal last autumn.

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

Ismailer stated that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Hires

This announcement mirrors a similar step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the full content from Ismailer's memo:

Team—

I understand you all just completed your gathering - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Previously I shared you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and talented designers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to endure.”

With your dedication and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was revealing. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the requirement for a more distinct identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the feedback to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s poised to achieve its potential to our audience.

The trust in Project ETHOS grows every day. To further the outstanding progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Director of the team. After several months of discussions, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.

His leadership and background in the competitive gaming genre is extensive, having devoted the last 15 years producing and managing some of the most recognizable titles in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in receiving him soon. We are all eager to continue observing the progress of Project ETHOS in the months to ahead.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman presently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. At the time, the developers presented the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting step forward 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 reads. "Challenge the rivals with new abilities, challenges, and tests that change every session. Do you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and trust your team can secure victory? The option is yours."

Project Ethos does not have an announced launch window or platforms, but fans can expect more updates as production continues.