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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Change Comes After Poor Reception

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

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure notified staff about this strategic move through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the need for a distinct game identity.

The president stated that the team is now reimagining the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to better meet player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

The news follows a comparable step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the complete content from Ismailer's memo:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Previously I shared you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative developers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re excited for that partnership to continue.”

Through your commitment and versatility, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s the game playtest was revealing. It confirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the necessity for a clearer identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the feedback to heart and overhauled the title with a revitalized goal - one that’s positioned to fulfill its potential to our fans.

The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the incredible advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to announce the new hire as the latest Director of the team. After some time of discussions, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His guidance and background in the competitive gaming space is extensive, having devoted the last 15 years creating and leading some of the most well-known titles in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and lately, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in welcoming Ben next week. We are all excited to persist witnessing the evolution of the game in the weeks to follow.

David

Background of the Incoming Head

The appointee currently holds the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Concept

Project Ethos was revealed in last year together with a public demo. At the time, the developers presented the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting evolution on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch explains. "Face the opponents with fresh skills, risks, and obstacles that change every match. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively aim high, gamble everything, and pray your team can achieve the highest spot? The choice is in your hands."

The game lacks an announced launch window or supported systems, but fans can look forward to more updates as development continues.