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The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Shift Follows Mixed Feedback

Brinkman steps into the role of studio head at 31st Union following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' disappointing initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer updated team members about this decision through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had indicated the necessity for a distinct game identity.

Ismailer stated that the developers is now refining Project Ethos with a renewed focus, aiming to address gamer demands.

Trend of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement follows a similar move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the full text from Ismailer's announcement:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most motivated and creative designers we have had the pleasure to work with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to persist.”

With your dedication and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you continue to prove that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was enlightening. It validated the promise of a action-packed game but made clear we still had refinements needed. It revealed the requirement for a clearer brand.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the input to consideration and reimagined the title with a renewed vision - one that’s positioned to deliver on its ambition to our players.

The trust in this project grows every day. To advance the remarkable progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to introduce the new hire as the latest Director of the team. After some time of discussions, he officially joins us on the specified date.

His leadership and background in the PVP shooter space is vast, having dedicated the recent years developing and leading some of the most well-known series in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in welcoming Ben next week. We are all excited to keep witnessing the development of Project ETHOS in the time to come.

The President

Background of the Incoming Head

Brinkman presently serves in the position of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Title Details and Concept

The upcoming game was announced in last year alongside a early access event. Then, the developers portrayed the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative step forward on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to match your preferred approach," the description reads. "Take on the opponents with unique powers, stakes, and tests that evolve every round. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, risk it all, and hope your team can earn top ranking? The decision is in your hands."

The game does not have an official release date or consoles, but players can anticipate more updates as development continues.