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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Shift Comes After Mixed Response

The new appointee steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing initial reveal last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed team members about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had indicated the need for a distinct game identity.

Ismailer noted that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a revised approach, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

Trend of Key Recruitment

This announcement mirrors a similar action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the entire message from the president's announcement:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your gathering - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most driven and creative developers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re excited for that relationship to persist.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It validated the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the requirement for a more distinct brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the feedback to consideration and revamped Project ETHOS with a revitalized vision - one that’s positioned to deliver on its promise to our fans.

The trust in this project grows every day. To advance the remarkable development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of the team. After several months of discussions, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His management and experience in the PVP shooter field is vast, having devoted the past decade and a half producing and overseeing some of the most well-known titles in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in welcoming Ben next week. We are all looking forward to persist witnessing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the time to follow.

David

Background of the New Head

Brinkman presently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in multiple production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in last year in conjunction with a early access event. At the time, 31st Union presented the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting advancement on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch explains. "Face the competition with unique powers, stakes, and challenges that change every match. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively take a risk, put it on the line, and hope your group can earn top ranking? The option is yours."

The game does not have an official debut schedule or supported systems, but fans can look forward to additional details as development advances.