The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the development team at their internal studio, which is currently crafting the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
Management Change Follows Poor Response
The new appointee takes on the role of studio head at the development studio following the departure of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing early showing last fall.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure informed employees about this strategic move through an official communication, which emphasized that playtesting had shown the need for a distinct vision.
The president expressed that the developers is now reimagining Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to address player expectations.
Trend of Strategic Recruitment
This announcement follows a similar move taken by the publisher in August, when they brought on Rod Fergusson from the Diablo team to work on the BioShock development group.
Here is the complete content from the president's memo:
Hello Everyone—
I understand you all just completed your town hall - I hope you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Previously I sent you all a message, I expressed the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most driven and talented designers we have had the chance to partner with - and we’re excited for that partnership to continue.”
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 appeal of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had work to do. It uncovered the requirement for a clearer identity.
The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the criticism to consideration and reimagined Project ETHOS with a renewed goal - one that’s poised to fulfill its potential to our fans.
The trust in this project increases every day. To further the incredible development you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome the new hire as the new Lead of the team. Following a period of discussions, he officially joins us on the specified date.
His leadership and background in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having spent the recent years producing and overseeing some of the most popular series in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and more recently, the battle royale hit.
Let’s together in receiving him next week. We are all excited to persist seeing the evolution of Project ETHOS in the months to come.
David
Background of the New Leader
The appointee currently serves in the position of senior developer and production lead at the renowned studio for their flagship title. Brinkman earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in various development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, prior to that, had stints at other industry leaders.
Title Details and Vision
Project Ethos was unveiled in last year in conjunction with a community playtest. Then, 31st Union portrayed the game as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an innovative evolution on the style."
"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to fit your unique tactics," the official summary explains. "Face the competition with unique powers, stakes, and challenges that change every session. Will you leave securely with your collected items? Or take a risk, risk it all, and trust your team can secure victory? The option is up to you."
Project Ethos does not have an announced debut schedule or supported systems, but enthusiasts can anticipate more updates as creation progresses.
