The renowned publisher has welcomed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the upcoming third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.
The new appointee steps into the leadership position at the development studio following the dismissal of previous head Michael Condrey, who was removed from his post due to the game's lackluster initial reveal last fall.
On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer notified staff about this organizational change through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had shown the need for a distinct vision.
Ismailer expressed that the developers is now refining the project with a renewed approach, aiming to address community desires.
The news echoes a comparable step taken by 2K Games in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from the Diablo team to assist with the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.
Here is the full message from Ismailer's announcement:
Team—
I understand you all just wrapped up your gathering - I hope you’re as excited as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a note, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this group. You all are some of the most driven and innovative designers we have had the opportunity to work with - and we’re excited for that relationship to continue.”
Given your hard work and adaptability, especially over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.
The community feedback from last fall’s the game playtest was enlightening. It confirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but told us we still had refinements needed. It highlighted the requirement for a clearer vision.
It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You took the criticism to heart and reimagined Project ETHOS with a refreshed direction - one that’s positioned to fulfill its ambition to our audience.
Our confidence in Project ETHOS grows every day. To boost the incredible progress you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce the new hire as the incoming Studio Head of the team. Following a period of discussions, he officially joins us on next week.
His leadership and expertise in the competitive gaming genre is vast, having devoted the last 15 years creating and leading some of the most recognizable titles in gaming, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.
Let’s together in greeting Ben next week. We are all looking forward to persist observing the development of the game in the months to follow.
David
Brinkman presently serves in the position of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. Brinkman previously worked at major gaming companies in multiple development positions on the iconic franchise games, and, prior to that, had periods at 2K and Electronic Arts.
Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 in conjunction with a community playtest. At the time, the developers described the title as a "free-to-play, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling step forward on the category."
"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to fit your unique tactics," the description states. "Take on the rivals with unique powers, risks, and obstacles that evolve every match. Do you withdraw carefully with your collected items? Alternatively take a risk, risk it all, and hope your squad can achieve the highest spot? The choice is in your hands."
Project Ethos does not have an confirmed launch window or supported systems, but fans can look forward to more updates as development progresses.
