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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Transition Comes After Poor Reception

Brinkman steps into 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.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure updated employees about this decision through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had revealed the necessity for a clearer direction.

The president stated that the developers is now reimagining the project with a revised approach, aiming to better meet player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions

This announcement echoes 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.

Below is the entire text from Ismailer's memo:

Team—

I understand you all just finished your town hall - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Last time 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 innovative creators we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to continue.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game demo was informative. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the requirement for a clearer identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You took the feedback to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a renewed vision - one that’s ready to deliver on its promise to our players.

The belief in this project grows every day. To further the outstanding progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce the new hire as the new Director of the team. Following some time of conversations, Ben starts with us on Monday, October 20.

His guidance and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having dedicated the last 15 years developing and overseeing some of the most popular series in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in receiving Ben next week. We are all eager to persist witnessing the development of the game in the months to come.

The President

Background of the New Head

The appointee currently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at major gaming companies in various production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 alongside a early access event. Then, the developers presented the game as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative evolution on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch reads. "Challenge the opponents with unique powers, stakes, and tests that shift every match. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Alternatively go big, put it on the line, and trust your team can earn top ranking? The option is yours."

Project Ethos has not yet received an official debut schedule or platforms, but fans can look forward to further news as production continues.