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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Shift Comes After Lukewarm Feedback

The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed employees about this decision through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had revealed the necessity for a clearer vision.

Ismailer expressed that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to address player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Hires

The news follows a similar step taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the BioShock development group.

Below is the complete content from the president's announcement:

Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your gathering - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and talented designers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to persist.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game demo was informative. It confirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the requirement for a more distinct brand.

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

Our confidence in this project increases every day. To boost the outstanding progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce the new hire as the latest Director of the team. Following a period of conversations, Ben comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s guidance and background in the PVP shooter genre is extensive, having dedicated the last 15 years developing and managing some of the most popular series in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and lately, Apex Legends.

Please join me in welcoming him in the coming days. We are all excited to persist witnessing the development of Project ETHOS in the time to follow.

David

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman presently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in last year together with a early access event. At the time, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative advancement on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch explains. "Take on the rivals with unique powers, risks, and tests that evolve every match. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively go big, gamble everything, and hope your squad can earn top ranking? The choice is up to you."

Project Ethos lacks an announced debut schedule or consoles, but enthusiasts can look forward to more updates as development continues.