The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to lead the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.
Leadership Shift Follows Mixed Reception
Brinkman takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's disappointing early showing last autumn.
Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which emphasized that early feedback sessions had indicated the need for a distinct vision.
The president noted that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to satisfy player expectations.
Trend of Strategic Hires
The news mirrors a similar step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the entire content from the president's memo:
Dear Team—
I know you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a message, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this team. You all are some of the most driven and innovative designers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward for that partnership to endure.”
Through your commitment and flexibility, especially over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.
The community feedback from last autumn’s the game testing phase was informative. It validated the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the necessity for a sharper vision.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the feedback to consideration and reimagined the title with a revitalized goal - one that’s positioned to fulfill its potential to our players.
The trust in Project ETHOS strengthens every day. To advance the incredible advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce the new hire as the latest Lead of the team. Following a period of talks, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.
Ben’s leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming space is vast, having devoted the past decade and a half developing and managing some of the most popular franchises in gaming, including the acclaimed shooter, and more recently, the battle royale hit.
Let’s together in receiving Ben in the coming days. We are all excited to persist observing the progress of the game in the time to ahead.
The President
Background of the New Head
Brinkman presently serves in the role of senior developer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Game Details and Concept
Project Ethos was announced in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. Then, 31st Union described the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting 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 rivals with unique powers, challenges, and challenges that evolve every match. Do you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, risk it all, and pray your team can secure victory? The option is yours."
Project Ethos does not have an official launch window or supported systems, but fans can look forward to more updates as production advances.
