The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Management Change Follows Poor Response
The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last fall.
Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified employees about this organizational change through an internal memo, which emphasized that playtesting had indicated the need for a distinct vision.
Ismailer noted that the developers is now refining the project with a revised vision, aiming to better meet community desires.
Trend of Strategic Recruitment
This announcement follows a comparable move taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the full text from the president's announcement:
Team—
I understand you all just finished your town hall - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a message, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and talented developers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re eager for that relationship to endure.”
Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you repeatedly show that.
The player input from last fall’s the game testing phase was informative. It validated the appeal of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had improvements to make. It revealed the requirement for a clearer vision.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve come. You took the feedback to heart and reimagined the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s positioned to fulfill its potential to our fans.
The belief in Project ETHOS grows every day. To further the remarkable advancement you’ve made, I am thrilled to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of the team. Following a period of discussions, he officially joins us on next week.
His guidance and experience in the PVP shooter field is extensive, having devoted the last 15 years developing and leading some of the most popular series in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and most recently, the battle royale hit.
I invite you all in receiving him in the coming days. We are all looking forward to persist witnessing the development of the game in the time to follow.
The President
Background of the Incoming Head
The appointee currently holds the role of senior developer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at major gaming companies in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Title Information and Concept
Project Ethos was unveiled in last year in conjunction with a public demo. Initially, the developers portrayed the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative evolution 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 match your preferred approach," the description explains. "Take on the opponents with new abilities, risks, and obstacles that change every round. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, put it on the line, and trust your squad can secure victory? The decision is in your hands."
Project Ethos lacks an confirmed release date or platforms, but fans can anticipate further news as production advances.
