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The renowned publisher has welcomed Ben Brinkman from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the forthcoming over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.

Management Shift Comes After Lukewarm Response

Brinkman steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the exit of former leader 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 strategic move through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had indicated the requirement for a distinct vision.

Ismailer noted that the developers is now overhauling the project with a renewed vision, aiming to better meet player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Hires

This announcement echoes a similar action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to contribute to the BioShock development group.

Here is the full text from the president's memo:

Hello Everyone—

I understand you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a message, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative creators we have had the pleasure to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that relationship to persist.”

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

The community feedback from last fall’s the game testing phase was informative. It affirmed the appeal of a roguelike shooter but made clear we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the need for a more distinct vision.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the input to heart and revamped the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s positioned to deliver on its ambition to our audience.

Our confidence in this project increases every day. To further the outstanding advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce Ben Brinkman as the new Director of the team. Following some time of discussions, Ben officially joins us on next week.

Ben’s management and expertise in the PVP shooter space is extensive, having devoted the last 15 years creating and managing some of the most popular titles in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in greeting him soon. We are all excited to continue observing the development of the game in the months to come.

The President

Background of the New Leader

Brinkman currently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman previously was employed at Treyarch and Activision in multiple development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, earlier in his career, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in last year together with a early access event. At the time, the developers described the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an exciting advancement on the genre."

"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 game's pitch states. "Challenge the rivals with fresh skills, stakes, and obstacles that shift every round. Do you leave securely with your collected items? Alternatively take a risk, put it on the line, and pray your team can secure victory? The decision is yours."

Project Ethos has not yet received an announced launch window or supported systems, but fans can look forward to further news as creation advances.