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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Change Comes After Poor Feedback

Brinkman steps into the role of studio head at the development studio following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster early showing last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure informed staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the need for a clearer vision.

The president stated that the team is now overhauling the project with a revised vision, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Hires

The news echoes a comparable move taken by the publisher in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the entire message from Ismailer's communication:

Team—

I understand you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most driven and innovative developers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re eager for that relationship to continue.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was informative. It validated the potential of a action-packed game but made clear we still had work to do. It revealed the necessity for a sharper brand.

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

The trust in this project grows every day. To boost the incredible advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce Ben Brinkman as the new Director of the team. Following several months of talks, Ben comes aboard us on the specified date.

His management and background in the competitive gaming space is extensive, having devoted the last 15 years producing and overseeing some of the most popular series in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in greeting Ben next week. We are all eager to persist observing the evolution of the game in the weeks to ahead.

David

Background of the New Leader

Brinkman presently holds the role of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a community playtest. Initially, 31st Union described the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling step forward on the category."

"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 description explains. "Take on the competition with unique powers, challenges, and obstacles that change every round. Will you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Or aim high, gamble everything, and hope your team can secure victory? The decision is in your hands."

Project Ethos does not have an announced launch window or supported systems, but enthusiasts can expect more updates as development advances.