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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 roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Shift Follows Mixed Reception

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's disappointing unveiling last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated staff about this strategic move through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had shown the requirement for a more defined vision.

The president noted that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed approach, aiming to satisfy gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Acquisitions

This announcement mirrors a similar move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the full text from Ismailer's communication:

Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your meeting - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a message, I expressed the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative creators we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re eager for that partnership to endure.”

With your dedication and versatility, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game demo was enlightening. It confirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but made clear we still had improvements to make. It revealed the requirement for a clearer vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the input to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s poised to achieve its ambition to our players.

Our confidence in this project grows every day. To further the remarkable progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Director of 31st Union. After some time of discussions, he officially joins us on the specified date.

His guidance and background in the PVP shooter field is considerable, having spent the recent years creating and leading some of the most recognizable series in gaming, for example the acclaimed shooter, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in receiving him next week. We are all eager to persist witnessing the progress of Project ETHOS in the time to follow.

The President

Background of the Incoming Head

Brinkman presently holds the role of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in last year together with a community playtest. Then, the developers described the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person 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 real-time to match your preferred approach," the description states. "Challenge the competition with unique powers, challenges, and obstacles that change every session. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and trust your squad can earn top ranking? The decision is up to you."

Project Ethos does not have an official release date or platforms, but fans can anticipate more updates as production continues.