The Gaming Giant Brings Onboard Popular Battle Royale Producer to Rescue Challenged Hero Shooter Ambitious Title

The renowned publisher has appointed a seasoned producer from Respawn Entertainment to lead the development team at their internal studio, which is currently developing the forthcoming third-person action-packed title known as this innovative game.

Management Transition Follows Lukewarm Feedback

The new appointee assumes the role of studio head at the development studio following the exit of former leader the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to the game's disappointing unveiling last fall.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive a key figure notified staff about this decision through an official communication, which stressed that playtesting had indicated the requirement for a clearer direction.

Ismailer noted that the team is now overhauling the project with a revised approach, aiming to address player expectations.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement echoes a similar move taken by the publisher in the summer, when they recruited Rod Fergusson from Blizzard to work on the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the full content from the president's memo:

Team—

I know you all just finished your gathering - I trust you’re as enthusiastic as I am with the recent updates. Last time I sent you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I am confident in this crew. You all are some of the most motivated and innovative creators we have had the opportunity to collaborate with - and we’re looking forward 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 revealing. It validated the appeal of a action-packed game but told us we still had improvements to make. It revealed the requirement for a clearer vision.

The progress is encouraging to see how far you’ve advanced. You embraced the feedback to mind and overhauled Project ETHOS with a revitalized direction - one that’s poised to fulfill its promise to our fans.

The belief in Project ETHOS increases every day. To further the incredible progress you’ve made, I’m excited to introduce Ben Brinkman as the incoming Lead of the team. After some time of discussions, Ben starts with us on next week.

Ben’s guidance and experience in the competitive gaming space is considerable, having dedicated the past decade and a half producing and leading some of the most well-known franchises in gaming, such as the acclaimed shooter, and lately, Apex Legends.

Please join me in receiving Ben in the coming days. We are all looking forward to keep observing the development of Project ETHOS in the months to follow.

David

Experience of the New Head

The appointee presently holds the position of executive producer and head of production at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at major gaming companies in various 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 early access event. At the time, 31st Union described the title as a "no-cost, 3rd-person action-packed experience and an thrilling advancement on the category."

"Build your perfect run—or die trying—in this 3rd-person action shooter! Build your hero in real-time to match your preferred approach," the official summary reads. "Face the rivals with fresh skills, risks, and obstacles that shift every session. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Alternatively take a risk, gamble everything, and trust your squad can secure victory? The decision is yours."

Project Ethos has not yet received an announced release date or supported systems, but players can expect further news as creation continues.

Kevin Howard
Kevin Howard

A seasoned property developer with over 15 years of experience in UK real estate, focusing on sustainable and high-yield investments.

September 2026 Blog Roll