The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently developing the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as this innovative game.
Management Change Follows Poor Response
The new appointee steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of former leader Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming unveiling last fall.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure informed staff about this decision through an internal memo, which stressed that early feedback sessions had revealed the requirement for a clearer vision.
Ismailer expressed that the developers is now refining the project with a renewed approach, aiming to better meet gamer demands.
Trend of Strategic Acquisitions
The news echoes a comparable move taken by 2K Games in August, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to assist with the beloved franchise studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the complete text from the president's communication:
Dear Team—
I understand you all just completed your gathering - 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 group. You all are some of the most driven and talented developers we have had the opportunity to partner with - and we’re excited for that relationship to endure.”
Through your commitment and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.
The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS playtest was revealing. It validated the potential of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It revealed the requirement for a sharper brand.
It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You took the feedback to consideration and revamped Project ETHOS with a revitalized vision - one that’s positioned to deliver on its promise to our fans.
The trust in Project ETHOS grows every day. To boost the remarkable development you’ve made, I’m excited to announce the new hire as the latest Director of the team. Following some time of conversations, Ben officially joins us on next week.
Ben’s management and experience in the PVP shooter genre is considerable, having devoted the past decade and a half creating and managing some of the most popular franchises in the industry, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.
Let’s together in receiving Ben next week. We are all eager to keep witnessing the development of the game in the time to follow.
The President
Experience of the New Head
The appointee presently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman earlier worked at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, before that, had stints at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Game Information and Vision
The upcoming game was revealed in last year alongside a public demo. Initially, the developers presented the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective action-packed experience and an innovative step forward on the genre."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the official summary states. "Challenge the rivals with unique powers, stakes, and obstacles that shift every session. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or aim high, put it on the line, and trust your squad can secure victory? The choice is in your hands."
The game lacks an confirmed release date or supported systems, but fans can look forward to more updates as production progresses.
