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The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the upcoming third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Transition Comes After Poor Response

The new appointee 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' underwhelming unveiling last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated team members about this decision through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had revealed the need for a clearer game identity.

The president noted that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a refreshed vision, aiming to address player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

This announcement echoes a similar move taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the full content from the president's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just completed your gathering - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most motivated and creative developers we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that relationship to endure.”

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

The community feedback from last fall’s the game playtest was informative. It affirmed the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the requirement for a sharper brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the input to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a revitalized goal - 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 new Studio Head of the team. Following several months of conversations, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s guidance and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having spent the last 15 years creating and managing some of the most popular titles in the industry, such as the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in greeting Ben soon. We are all excited to continue seeing the development of the game in the time to ahead.

David

Background of the New Head

Brinkman currently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was announced in last year together with a public demo. Then, the developers described the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative evolution on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch reads. "Take on the rivals with fresh skills, stakes, and obstacles that change every session. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively go big, put it on the line, and hope your group can earn top ranking? The option is in your hands."

The game lacks an confirmed debut schedule or platforms, but fans can look forward to more updates as creation advances.