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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Comes After Lukewarm Reception

The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure notified staff about this organizational change through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had revealed the need for a distinct vision.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now reimagining the project with a revised focus, aiming to better meet player expectations.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

This announcement echoes a similar move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock development group.

Here is the entire text from the president's communication:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just completed your gathering - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a message, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and creative developers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re excited for that partnership to continue.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It confirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had refinements needed. It revealed the necessity for a more distinct identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the feedback to mind and overhauled the title with a revitalized vision - one that’s positioned to achieve its promise to our fans.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To boost the remarkable development you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce the new hire as the latest Lead of the team. Following a period of conversations, Ben starts with us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s guidance and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having spent the past decade and a half producing and overseeing some of the most recognizable franchises in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in greeting him next week. We are all eager to continue seeing the development of the game in the time to ahead.

David

Background of the New 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 various production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a early access event. Initially, the developers presented the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling advancement on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch reads. "Face the opponents with fresh skills, challenges, and challenges that shift every session. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively aim high, gamble everything, and trust your squad can earn top ranking? The option is yours."

The game does not have an confirmed debut schedule or platforms, but players can anticipate more updates as development progresses.