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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Follows Mixed Response

The new appointee steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's disappointing unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified staff about this strategic move through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had shown the requirement for a distinct direction.

Ismailer stated that the team is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised approach, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

A Pattern of Key Acquisitions

This announcement echoes a comparable step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock development group.

Here is the complete content from Ismailer's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just wrapped up your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and innovative creators we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re eager for that relationship to continue.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you repeatedly show that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was enlightening. It validated the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had work to do. It highlighted the requirement for a more distinct identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the criticism to heart and overhauled Project ETHOS with a refreshed vision - one that’s positioned to fulfill its potential to our players.

The belief in this project increases every day. To further the incredible development you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce Ben Brinkman as the latest Director of 31st Union. After some time of conversations, Ben starts with us on next week.

Ben’s leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming space is extensive, having devoted the past decade and a half developing and overseeing some of the most well-known series in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Please join me in greeting him soon. We are all excited to keep witnessing the progress of the game in the weeks to ahead.

The President

Background of the New Leader

Brinkman currently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 together with a public demo. Initially, the developers presented the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an thrilling evolution on the genre."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the description reads. "Challenge the opponents with unique powers, challenges, and obstacles that shift every round. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and trust your group can secure victory? The option is in your hands."

Project Ethos has not yet received an announced launch window or platforms, but enthusiasts can look forward to more updates as development advances.