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

Management Transition Follows Lukewarm Response

The new appointee steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure updated staff about this organizational change through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had revealed the necessity for a distinct vision.

Ismailer stated that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to better meet player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Acquisitions

The news follows a similar step taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire text from Ismailer's communication:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just completed your meeting - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Previously I shared you all a note, I expressed the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and talented creators we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to continue.”

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

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was revealing. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the necessity for a clearer vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the feedback to mind and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s ready to achieve its ambition to our fans.

The belief in Project ETHOS grows every day. To further the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome the new hire as the incoming Director of the team. After some time of talks, Ben comes aboard us on next week.

Ben’s management and experience in the PVP shooter field is vast, having devoted the recent years producing and managing some of the most popular franchises in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in welcoming him in the coming days. We are all excited to continue observing the progress of the game in the time to follow.

The President

Background of the Incoming Leader

The appointee presently holds the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 together with a public demo. Initially, 31st Union presented the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling advancement on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the official summary reads. "Challenge the rivals with new abilities, challenges, and challenges that change every round. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, risk it all, and pray your squad can achieve the highest spot? The option is yours."

Project Ethos has not yet received an official launch window or platforms, but players can look forward to more updates as creation progresses.