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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Follows Lukewarm Reception

Brinkman assumes 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 lackluster initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure updated staff about this strategic move through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had indicated the need for a distinct game identity.

The president expressed that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a renewed vision, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

Trend of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement echoes a comparable move taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the complete text from the president's memo:

Team—

I understand you all just completed your town hall - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Previously I shared you all a message, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and talented creators we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re excited for that partnership to continue.”

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

The gamer responses from last autumn’s the game testing phase was enlightening. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but made clear we still had work to do. It revealed the requirement for a more distinct vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the feedback to mind and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s positioned to deliver on its ambition to our players.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To advance the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce the new hire as the incoming Director of the team. After several months of talks, he comes aboard us on the specified date.

Ben’s management and experience in the PVP shooter field is considerable, having dedicated the last 15 years developing and managing some of the most popular franchises in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in greeting Ben next week. We are all excited to keep seeing the progress of Project ETHOS in the weeks to come.

David

Background of the New Leader

Brinkman presently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, prior to that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Concept

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. At the time, 31st Union presented the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative advancement on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the description explains. "Face the competition with fresh skills, challenges, and obstacles that evolve every round. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or aim high, risk it all, and hope your squad can achieve the highest spot? The option is yours."

Project Ethos does not have an official debut schedule or consoles, but enthusiasts can look forward to more updates as creation continues.