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

Leadership Transition Follows Mixed Feedback

The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the exit of former leader Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to the game's lackluster initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated team members about this organizational change through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had shown the necessity for a more defined game identity.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now reimagining the project with a revised approach, aiming to better meet gamer demands.

Trend of Strategic Hires

This announcement follows a comparable action taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the full message from the president's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just completed your gathering - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. 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 designers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re excited for that partnership to continue.”

With your dedication and flexibility, especially over the last year, you repeatedly show that.

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It confirmed the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It highlighted the requirement for a sharper brand.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the feedback to heart and overhauled Project ETHOS with a revitalized direction - one that’s ready to deliver on its promise to our audience.

The trust in this project strengthens every day. To boost the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to announce the new hire as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. Following some time of conversations, he comes aboard us on Monday, October 20.

His guidance and experience in the competitive gaming space is vast, having spent the last 15 years developing and managing some of the most well-known series in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in receiving him soon. We are all looking forward to keep seeing the evolution of the game in the time to come.

The President

Experience of the New Head

The appointee presently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Information and Vision

Project Ethos was revealed in October 2024 in conjunction with a public demo. At the time, the developers portrayed the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative step forward on the genre."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the game's pitch states. "Take on the competition with new abilities, risks, and obstacles that change every session. Do you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Or aim high, risk it all, and trust your squad can secure victory? The option is in your hands."

The game does not have an official release date or supported systems, but players can expect more updates as production advances.