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The renowned publisher has secured Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the upcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Leadership Change Follows Mixed Feedback

Brinkman takes on the leadership position at the development studio following the departure of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive a key figure notified team members about this organizational change through an internal memo, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had shown the need for a clearer game identity.

The president noted that the team is now reimagining the project with a renewed approach, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

Trend of Key Hires

The news echoes a comparable move taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they brought on an industry veteran from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Below is the entire message from Ismailer's communication:

Hello Everyone—

I know you all just wrapped up your gathering - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Last time I shared you all a message, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and talented creators we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re eager for that collaboration to persist.”

With your dedication and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The player input from last fall’s Project ETHOS playtest was informative. It confirmed the potential of a action-packed game but made clear we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the need for a more distinct identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve advanced. You accepted the feedback to consideration and reimagined the title with a renewed direction - one that’s positioned to achieve its ambition to our players.

The belief in Project ETHOS grows every day. To advance the outstanding advancement you’ve made, It is a pleasure to announce Ben Brinkman as the new Studio Head of the team. After some time of talks, Ben officially joins us on Monday, October 20.

His guidance and experience in the competitive gaming space is extensive, having spent the past decade and a half developing and managing some of the most popular series in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

Let’s together in receiving Ben in the coming days. We are all excited to continue observing the progress of Project ETHOS in the months to ahead.

David

Background of the New Head

The appointee currently holds the role of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier worked at major gaming companies in various production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, before that, had assignments at 2K and Electronic Arts.

Game Information and Concept

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 together with a public demo. Then, the developers presented the game as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an innovative advancement on the style."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Customize your character in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the description states. "Take on the competition with fresh skills, risks, and tests that change every match. Do you safely extract with your valuable rewards? Or aim high, risk it all, and trust your team can achieve the highest spot? The decision is in your hands."

Project Ethos does not have an announced launch window or supported systems, but players can look forward to more updates as development advances.