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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Shift Follows Poor Feedback

Brinkman steps into 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 the game's underwhelming unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated team members about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had revealed the need for a more defined direction.

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

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement follows a comparable move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the full content from the president's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and talented creators we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to endure.”

With your dedication and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was enlightening. It validated the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had refinements needed. It revealed the requirement for a sharper brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the feedback to mind and revamped the title with a revitalized vision - one that’s poised to deliver on its ambition to our audience.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To boost the remarkable progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of the team. Following several months of conversations, Ben officially joins us on next week.

His leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter field is vast, having devoted the recent years creating and leading some of the most popular series in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in greeting him next week. We are all eager to keep observing the progress of Project ETHOS in the time to follow.

David

Background of the Incoming Head

Brinkman currently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at major gaming companies in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in last year alongside a community playtest. At the time, 31st Union described 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! Customize your character in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the official summary explains. "Challenge the competition with unique powers, stakes, and obstacles that change every round. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively go big, risk it all, and pray your team can earn top ranking? The choice is in your hands."

The game lacks an official launch window or consoles, but players can expect more updates as development advances.