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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 developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Shift Comes After Poor Feedback

Brinkman assumes the role of studio head at 31st Union following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster initial reveal last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated team members about this strategic move through an official communication, which highlighted that playtesting had revealed the necessity for a more defined direction.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now overhauling the project with a revised focus, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

Trend of Key Recruitment

The news follows a comparable step taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

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

Team—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and talented creators we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re eager for that relationship to continue.”

Through your commitment and versatility, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game demo was enlightening. It confirmed the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had work to do. It uncovered the requirement for a more distinct identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the feedback to heart and reimagined the title with a revitalized direction - one that’s poised to fulfill its promise to our players.

The belief in Project ETHOS grows every day. To boost the outstanding progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome Ben Brinkman as the new Lead of the team. Following several months of talks, Ben comes aboard us on the specified date.

His management and experience in the PVP shooter field is considerable, having spent the last 15 years developing and managing some of the most well-known titles in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all eager to persist seeing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the time to come.

The President

Background of the Incoming Leader

The appointee currently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in last year in conjunction with a public demo. At the time, the developers portrayed the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative evolution on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the description reads. "Face the opponents with unique powers, stakes, and challenges that change every round. Will you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Or aim high, gamble everything, and hope your group can achieve the highest spot? The option is yours."

The game does not have an confirmed launch window or supported systems, but fans can anticipate additional details as production progresses.