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The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Follows Lukewarm Reception

The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at the development studio following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's underwhelming unveiling last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed staff about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had indicated the necessity for a distinct direction.

The president noted that the team is now refining the project with a revised vision, aiming to satisfy community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Acquisitions

This announcement mirrors a comparable step taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

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

Team—

I know you all just wrapped up your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most driven and creative designers we have had the pleasure 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 community feedback from last autumn’s the game demo was revealing. It validated the promise of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It uncovered the requirement for a clearer vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the criticism to heart and overhauled Project ETHOS with a renewed direction - one that’s positioned to deliver on its ambition to our players.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS increases every day. To boost the outstanding advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce Ben Brinkman as the latest Studio Head of the team. Following a period of talks, Ben starts with us on Monday, October 20.

His guidance and expertise in the competitive gaming field is vast, having devoted the past decade and a half producing and leading some of the most popular franchises in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in greeting him soon. We are all looking forward to keep observing the progress of Project ETHOS in the time to follow.

The President

Experience of the New Leader

The appointee presently serves in the position of senior developer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Concept

Project Ethos was announced in last year together with a public demo. Initially, the developers presented the title as a "free-to-play, 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! Build your hero in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the official summary states. "Take on the rivals with fresh skills, stakes, and obstacles that evolve every match. Will you safely extract with your collected items? Alternatively aim high, put it on the line, and trust your team can earn top ranking? The choice is yours."

The game does not have an official debut schedule or supported systems, but players can look forward to more updates as creation advances.