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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the upcoming third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Management Change Comes After Lukewarm Reception

Brinkman steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster initial reveal last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure updated employees about this decision through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had indicated the necessity for a distinct direction.

The president stated that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a refreshed focus, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

This announcement mirrors a comparable step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they hired an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the entire message from Ismailer's announcement:

Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and talented designers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to persist.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was informative. It validated the promise of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the need for a clearer brand.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the feedback to heart and reimagined Project ETHOS with a revitalized direction - one that’s poised to fulfill its promise to our audience.

The belief in Project ETHOS increases every day. To further the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome the new hire as the new Lead of 31st Union. After several months of conversations, Ben comes aboard us on the specified date.

Ben’s guidance and background in the competitive gaming genre is extensive, having devoted the past decade and a half creating and overseeing some of the most popular titles in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in receiving him in the coming days. We are all excited to keep witnessing the evolution of the game in the time to come.

The President

Background of the New Leader

The appointee currently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. He earlier worked at major gaming companies in various development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a early access event. Initially, the developers described the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an exciting step forward on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the official summary states. "Take on the rivals with unique powers, stakes, and obstacles that shift every match. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, risk it all, and pray your group can earn top ranking? The decision is up to you."

The game lacks an official release date or supported systems, but fans can expect further news as production continues.