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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the forthcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Transition Follows Poor Reception

Brinkman steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster early showing last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure updated team members about this decision through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had indicated the requirement for a more defined direction.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now overhauling Project Ethos with a revised focus, aiming to better meet community desires.

A Pattern of Strategic Hires

This announcement mirrors a similar move taken by 2K Games in August, when they hired Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the beloved franchise development group.

Here is the complete text from Ismailer's memo:

Team—

I understand you all just finished your meeting - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the positive developments. Previously I shared you all a update, I stated the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and talented designers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to continue.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS demo was enlightening. It validated the promise of a action-packed game but indicated we still had work to do. It revealed the need for a more distinct identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You accepted the feedback to heart and reimagined Project ETHOS with a revitalized direction - one that’s poised to fulfill its potential to our audience.

The belief in Project ETHOS increases every day. To further the incredible progress you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce the new hire as the incoming Director of the team. After a period of talks, he officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

Ben’s leadership and background in the competitive gaming genre is considerable, having devoted the past decade and a half producing and leading some of the most popular franchises in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, Apex Legends.

Please join me in receiving Ben next week. We are all excited to persist observing the development of the game in the time to ahead.

The President

Experience of the Incoming Leader

Brinkman presently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier worked at major gaming companies in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, earlier in his career, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Details and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in last year alongside a early access event. Then, the developers described the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative evolution on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the official summary explains. "Challenge the opponents with unique powers, stakes, and tests that change every match. Will you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or aim high, gamble everything, and pray your group can secure victory? The choice is up to you."

Project Ethos lacks an official debut schedule or consoles, but enthusiasts can look forward to additional details as development progresses.