The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Management Change Comes After Poor Feedback
Brinkman assumes the role of studio head at the development studio following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to the game's underwhelming early showing last autumn.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed team members about this decision through an internal memo, which stressed that playtesting had indicated the need for a more defined vision.
Ismailer stated that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to satisfy community desires.
A Pattern of Key Recruitment
This announcement echoes a comparable step taken by the publisher in the summer, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the beloved franchise development group.
Here is the complete text from Ismailer's announcement:
Dear Team—
I know you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the good news. Previously I sent you all a note, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and creative developers we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to endure.”
Through your commitment and versatility, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.
The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It validated the promise of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It revealed the requirement for a sharper brand.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the input to mind and overhauled the title with a renewed direction - one that’s ready to achieve its potential to our audience.
Our confidence in this project strengthens every day. To boost the remarkable development you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce the new hire as the latest Studio Head of 31st Union. After several months of conversations, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.
His leadership and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having dedicated the recent years developing and managing some of the most recognizable franchises in the industry, including Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.
Please join me in welcoming him in the coming days. We are all excited to continue observing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the weeks to ahead.
David
Background of the New Head
Brinkman currently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at major gaming companies in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty series, and, before that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Game Details and Concept
The upcoming game was unveiled in last year alongside a public demo. Then, the developers presented the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling advancement on the genre."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the description explains. "Take on the competition with new abilities, stakes, and challenges that shift every match. Do you withdraw carefully with your hard-earned loot? Or go big, risk it all, and trust your group can achieve the highest spot? The decision is up to you."
The game lacks an official debut schedule or consoles, but players can anticipate additional details as creation advances.
