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

Management Transition Follows Poor Response

Brinkman takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had shown the necessity for a distinct game identity.

The president noted that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a refreshed vision, aiming to address community desires.

Trend of Key Recruitment

This announcement echoes a comparable step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the entire content from Ismailer's memo:

Dear Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the positive developments. Previously I sent you all a message, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and talented developers we have had the chance to work with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to continue.”

With your dedication and versatility, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game demo was enlightening. It confirmed the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the requirement for a more distinct identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You accepted the input to heart and reimagined the title with a renewed vision - one that’s positioned to achieve its potential to our fans.

Our confidence in this project increases every day. To advance the remarkable development you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce the new hire as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. Following some time of conversations, Ben starts with us on the specified date.

His guidance and experience in the competitive gaming space is considerable, having spent the past decade and a half creating and leading some of the most well-known titles in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in welcoming Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to persist witnessing the progress of the game in the months to follow.

David

Experience of the New Head

The appointee currently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier was employed at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, earlier in his career, had stints at other industry leaders.

Game Information and Vision

Project Ethos was announced in last year in conjunction with a early access event. At the time, 31st Union described the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an exciting advancement on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to suit your personal playstyle," the game's pitch reads. "Take on the rivals with unique powers, challenges, and obstacles that evolve every match. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively take a risk, put it on the line, and hope your squad can secure victory? The decision is up to you."

Project Ethos lacks an confirmed launch window or consoles, but players can anticipate more updates as creation continues.