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The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently working on the upcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Leadership Transition Comes After Lukewarm Response

Brinkman assumes the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure updated team members about this decision through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the need for a distinct vision.

The president expressed that the team is now reimagining the project with a refreshed approach, aiming to satisfy community desires.

Trend of Strategic Acquisitions

This announcement echoes a comparable move taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock development group.

Below is the entire text from the president's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a update, I stated the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative developers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to endure.”

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

The gamer responses from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It validated the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the requirement for a clearer vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the feedback to mind and overhauled the title with a renewed vision - one that’s positioned to achieve its promise to our players.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To advance the outstanding progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to welcome the new hire as the incoming Lead of 31st Union. After some time of discussions, Ben officially joins us on next week.

His management and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having spent the past decade and a half producing and managing some of the most recognizable titles in the industry, including the acclaimed shooter, and lately, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in welcoming him in the coming days. We are all excited to keep witnessing the evolution of the game in the weeks to ahead.

David

Experience of the New Leader

The appointee currently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, prior to that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Concept

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 in conjunction with a community playtest. At the time, the developers presented the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person 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 real-time to match your preferred approach," the description states. "Challenge the competition with new abilities, challenges, and tests that shift every session. Do you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, gamble everything, and trust your group can secure victory? The choice is in your hands."

The game has not yet received an confirmed debut schedule or supported systems, but enthusiasts can look forward to further news as development continues.