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

Leadership Shift Comes After Mixed Reception

The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster early showing last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure updated team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which highlighted that playtesting had indicated the necessity for a clearer game identity.

Ismailer expressed that the team is now refining the project with a renewed vision, aiming to better meet community desires.

A Pattern of Key Acquisitions

The news mirrors a comparable action taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

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

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just completed your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a message, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented designers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to continue.”

Through your commitment and versatility, particularly over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was informative. It confirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the need for a sharper identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the input to heart and overhauled the title with a refreshed direction - one that’s poised to achieve its potential to our players.

The trust in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To boost the remarkable development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. After some time of conversations, he starts with us on Monday, October 20.

His guidance and expertise in the PVP shooter space is vast, having devoted the recent years producing and leading some of the most recognizable series in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in welcoming Ben soon. We are all excited to keep witnessing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the months to ahead.

The President

Background of the New Leader

The appointee currently serves in the role of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in October 2024 in conjunction with a community playtest. At the time, the developers portrayed the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting evolution on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the description states. "Challenge the rivals with fresh skills, risks, and obstacles that change every match. Will you leave securely with your collected items? Or take a risk, risk it all, and hope your squad can earn top ranking? The option is in your hands."

The game has not yet received an official release date or supported systems, but players can expect more updates as development continues.