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

Management Transition Follows Poor Feedback

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure updated employees about this decision through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had shown the need for a more defined direction.

The president noted that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised approach, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

Trend of Key Acquisitions

This announcement follows a similar move taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire content from Ismailer's communication:

Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your town hall - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a update, I expressed the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most driven and innovative creators we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to continue.”

Through your commitment and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS demo was informative. It affirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the need for a more distinct brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You took the criticism to heart and overhauled Project ETHOS with a revitalized vision - one that’s ready to fulfill its ambition to our fans.

The belief in this project strengthens every day. To advance the outstanding development you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce the new hire as the latest Studio Head of the team. After some time of conversations, Ben officially joins us on next week.

Ben’s management and expertise in the competitive gaming field is vast, having spent the past decade and a half developing and leading some of the most well-known series in gaming, for example the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in welcoming Ben soon. We are all eager to continue witnessing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Experience of the New Head

Brinkman presently serves in the position of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was revealed in last year alongside a public demo. Then, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an exciting step forward on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch reads. "Challenge the rivals with new abilities, risks, and tests that change every session. Will you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively aim high, put it on the line, and hope your squad can achieve the highest spot? The choice is up to you."

The game has not yet received an announced debut schedule or supported systems, but enthusiasts can expect more updates as production continues.