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The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to lead the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently working on the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Comes After Poor Feedback

The new appointee steps into the role of studio head at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure updated employees about this decision through an internal memo, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had revealed the need for a more defined direction.

Ismailer noted that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to address player expectations.

Trend of Strategic Hires

This announcement mirrors a comparable move taken by the publisher in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock development group.

Here is the entire text from Ismailer's memo:

Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative designers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to endure.”

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

The community feedback from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was enlightening. It confirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It revealed the need for a clearer identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the criticism to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s poised to deliver on its promise to our players.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To boost the outstanding development you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce the new hire as the new Lead of the team. Following several months of talks, Ben comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

His management and expertise in the competitive gaming field is vast, having spent the past decade and a half creating and leading some of the most popular titles in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in welcoming him in the coming days. We are all eager to persist observing the development of the game in the time to ahead.

David

Experience of the Incoming Leader

The appointee currently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously worked at major gaming companies in various development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in October 2024 together with a community playtest. Then, the developers portrayed the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling advancement on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch explains. "Challenge the competition with new abilities, challenges, and tests that shift every match. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively aim high, put it on the line, and pray your team can achieve the highest spot? The decision is up to you."

The game has not yet received an announced release date or platforms, but enthusiasts can anticipate further news as creation progresses.