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The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Shift Comes After Lukewarm Response

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' lackluster initial reveal last fall.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure informed staff about this decision through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a distinct vision.

Ismailer noted that the team is now reimagining the project with a revised approach, aiming to address community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

The news follows a similar move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the beloved franchise development group.

Below is the full message from Ismailer's memo:

Dear Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Last time I sent you all a update, I expressed the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and creative designers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re excited for that relationship to endure.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The player input from last autumn’s the game testing phase was enlightening. It confirmed the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had work to do. It uncovered the necessity for a clearer vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the criticism to consideration and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s poised to fulfill its promise to our audience.

The belief in this project increases every day. To advance the incredible advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to announce Ben Brinkman as the new Director of 31st Union. Following some time of discussions, Ben comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

His management and background in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having spent the last 15 years creating and managing some of the most recognizable titles in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in greeting him in the coming days. We are all eager to continue seeing the progress of the game in the weeks to ahead.

David

Experience of the New Leader

Brinkman presently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise series, and, earlier in his career, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 together with a public demo. Then, the developers portrayed the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting step forward on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the official summary explains. "Take on the rivals with fresh skills, stakes, and obstacles that evolve every match. Will you leave securely with your collected items? Alternatively aim high, risk it all, and trust your squad can earn top ranking? The decision is yours."

The game does not have an official launch window or platforms, but enthusiasts can expect further news as creation advances.