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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Management Transition Follows Poor Response

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure notified staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had indicated the necessity for a distinct game identity.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a renewed vision, aiming to address player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

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

Here is the entire message from the president's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just finished your meeting - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a message, I stated the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and talented developers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to endure.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last fall’s the game demo was revealing. It affirmed the promise of a action-packed game but indicated we still had work to do. It uncovered the need for a clearer brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the feedback to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a refreshed vision - one that’s poised to achieve its promise to our fans.

Our confidence in this project grows every day. To boost the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of the team. After some time of discussions, he comes aboard us on the specified date.

His management and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having devoted the last 15 years developing and managing some of the most recognizable titles in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in receiving him in the coming days. We are all eager to keep witnessing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the months to follow.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman presently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, earlier in his career, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 in conjunction with a community playtest. At the time, the developers described the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative step forward on the category."

"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 reads. "Face the competition with new abilities, risks, and tests that shift every match. Will you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, put it on the line, and hope your squad can earn top ranking? The decision is up to you."

Project Ethos has not yet received an announced release date or consoles, but enthusiasts can anticipate further news as development advances.