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The renowned publisher has secured a seasoned producer from the creators of Apex Legends to direct the studio crew at their internal studio, which is currently working on the anticipated third-person roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Management Change Follows Mixed Response

The new appointee takes on the leadership position at 31st Union following the dismissal of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was reportedly let go due to Project Ethos' lackluster initial reveal last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure updated staff about this organizational change through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had revealed the need for a more defined vision.

The president stated that the developers is now overhauling the project with a renewed approach, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

Trend of Strategic Hires

This announcement follows a comparable action taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the BioShock development group.

Below is the entire message from the president's announcement:

Team—

I understand you all just wrapped up your town hall - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the positive developments. Last time I shared you all a update, I expressed the following: “I am confident in this group. You all are some of the most driven and talented creators we have had the chance to work with - and we’re looking forward for that relationship to persist.”

Given your hard work and adaptability, particularly over the past twelve months, you continue to prove that.

The player input from last autumn’s Project ETHOS testing phase was enlightening. It affirmed the promise of a action-packed game but indicated we still had refinements needed. It uncovered the need for a more distinct identity.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the feedback to consideration and revamped Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s positioned to deliver on its ambition to our audience.

The trust in Project ETHOS increases every day. To advance the outstanding development you’ve made, I am thrilled to announce the new hire as the incoming Director of the team. Following a period of talks, he comes aboard us on the specified date.

Ben’s guidance and background in the PVP shooter genre is extensive, having dedicated the past decade and a half creating and leading some of the most popular franchises in gaming, for example Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, Apex Legends.

I invite you all in welcoming him in the coming days. We are all excited to persist seeing the development of the game in the weeks to follow.

David

Background of the New Leader

The appointee currently serves in the role of executive producer and head of production at Respawn Entertainment for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse development positions on the Call of Duty games, and, before that, had stints at other industry leaders.

Title Information and Vision

The upcoming game was unveiled in last year together with a community playtest. Then, the developers portrayed the game as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an innovative advancement 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 match your preferred approach," the official summary states. "Challenge the opponents with unique powers, risks, and challenges that change every session. Do you leave securely with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, risk it all, and trust your team can earn top ranking? The choice is in your hands."

The game lacks an official launch window or supported systems, but enthusiasts can anticipate more updates as production advances.