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The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the anticipated third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Follows Lukewarm Reception

The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at 31st Union following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure updated staff about this decision through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had shown the requirement for a clearer game identity.

Ismailer stated that the team is now overhauling the project with a refreshed vision, aiming to address community desires.

A Pattern of Key Hires

The news echoes a similar step taken by the publisher in August, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise development group.

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

Team—

I know you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a update, I stated the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most driven and creative developers we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re eager for that relationship to continue.”

With your dedication and flexibility, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The community feedback from last fall’s the game testing phase was informative. It validated the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had improvements to make. It highlighted the need for a clearer vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve advanced. You took the input to consideration and reimagined the title with a renewed vision - one that’s ready to deliver on its potential to our fans.

The trust in this project grows every day. To boost the outstanding progress you’ve made, I am thrilled to welcome the new hire as the incoming Studio Head of 31st Union. After a period of discussions, Ben officially joins us on next week.

His leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter field is extensive, having dedicated the past decade and a half producing and leading some of the most recognizable series in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in greeting Ben next week. We are all looking forward to persist observing the progress of Project ETHOS in the weeks to follow.

David

Background of the Incoming Head

The appointee presently holds the position of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Concept

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 together with a community playtest. Initially, the developers portrayed the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative advancement on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the description reads. "Face the rivals with new abilities, stakes, and obstacles that shift every match. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Or take a risk, gamble everything, and pray your team can earn top ranking? The choice is yours."

Project Ethos does not have an confirmed debut schedule or platforms, but players can look forward to further news as creation continues.