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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Change Follows Mixed Reception

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing initial reveal last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure updated employees about this organizational change through an official communication, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had indicated the need for a clearer game identity.

Ismailer stated that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a revised approach, aiming to satisfy community desires.

A Pattern of Key Recruitment

The news follows a comparable move taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the complete message from Ismailer's memo:

Team—

I know you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a message, I stated the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and creative designers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to persist.”

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

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was revealing. It confirmed the promise of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the requirement for a sharper identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the input to consideration and revamped the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s ready to deliver on its promise to our audience.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To advance the remarkable development you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce the new hire as the latest Director of the team. Following some time of talks, Ben officially joins us on the specified date.

Ben’s guidance and background in the competitive gaming space is vast, having spent the last 15 years creating and leading some of the most popular series in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in welcoming him in the coming days. We are all eager to keep seeing the progress of the game in the weeks to come.

David

Experience of the Incoming Head

Brinkman currently serves in the role of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He previously was employed at major gaming companies in various development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, earlier in his career, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in last year alongside a public demo. At the time, the developers presented the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative step forward on the style."

"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 description reads. "Challenge the rivals with new abilities, risks, and challenges that change every round. Do you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and pray your team can earn top ranking? The choice is yours."

Project Ethos has not yet received an confirmed debut schedule or supported systems, but fans can look forward to additional details as production advances.