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The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Comes After Poor Response

Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' disappointing initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure notified team members about this organizational change through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had indicated the need for a clearer vision.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now reimagining the project with a refreshed focus, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

The news echoes a similar action taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to contribute to the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the full message from the president's announcement:

Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your meeting - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Previously I shared you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most driven and talented creators we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to continue.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It affirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the need for a sharper identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the feedback to mind and overhauled Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s positioned to achieve its promise to our players.

The belief in this project increases every day. To advance the outstanding development you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce Ben Brinkman as the new Studio Head of the team. After some time of talks, he comes aboard us on next week.

Ben’s management and experience in the competitive gaming space is vast, having dedicated the recent years producing and managing some of the most popular franchises in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and lately, Apex Legends.

Please join me in welcoming him soon. We are all excited to keep witnessing the development of the game in the weeks to follow.

The President

Background of the New Leader

Brinkman currently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier was employed at major gaming companies in various development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in last year alongside a early access event. Then, 31st Union portrayed the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling 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 game's pitch reads. "Challenge the rivals with fresh skills, challenges, and challenges that evolve every round. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, gamble everything, and hope your group can earn top ranking? The decision is in your hands."

Project Ethos has not yet received an announced release date or supported systems, but fans can anticipate further news as production continues.