The Gaming Giant Brings Onboard Popular Battle Royale Developer to Revitalize Troubled Hero Shooter Project Ethos

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 developing the forthcoming over-the-shoulder action-packed title known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Shift Comes After Lukewarm Response

The new appointee steps into 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 Project Ethos' underwhelming initial reveal last autumn.

On Wednesday, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed team members about this strategic move through an internal memo, which highlighted that early feedback sessions had revealed the requirement for a clearer direction.

Ismailer stated that the team is now refining Project Ethos with a revised vision, aiming to satisfy player expectations.

A Pattern of Key Hires

The news echoes a comparable step taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to work on the BioShock development group.

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

Team—

I understand you all just finished your gathering - I hope you’re as thrilled as I am with the recent updates. Last time I shared you all a update, I mentioned the following: “I believe in this crew. You all are some of the most dedicated and creative developers we have had the chance to collaborate with - and we’re excited for that collaboration to continue.”

Given your hard work and flexibility, particularly over the past twelve months, you consistently demonstrate that.

The gamer responses from last fall’s the game playtest was revealing. It affirmed the appeal of a action-packed game but made clear we still had improvements to make. It revealed the necessity for a sharper identity.

It’s been inspiring to see how far you’ve progressed. You embraced the criticism to heart and revamped Project ETHOS with a refreshed goal - one that’s ready to achieve its ambition to our fans.

Our confidence in Project ETHOS increases every day. To further the outstanding advancement you’ve made, I’m excited to welcome the new hire as the latest Studio Head of the team. After some time of conversations, Ben comes aboard us on next week.

Ben’s management and background in the competitive gaming field is extensive, having dedicated the last 15 years producing and leading some of the most well-known franchises in the industry, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops, and lately, the battle royale hit.

I invite you all in welcoming Ben next week. We are all looking forward to continue seeing the progress of the game in the time to follow.

David

Experience of the Incoming Leader

The appointee currently holds the role of executive producer and production lead at Respawn Entertainment for their flagship title. He earlier was employed at Treyarch and Activision in diverse production roles on the Call of Duty series, and, prior to that, had assignments at other industry leaders.

Game Details and Vision

Project Ethos was unveiled in October 2024 in conjunction with a early access event. At the time, 31st Union described the title as a "free-to-play, 3rd-person roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling step forward on the style."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Build your hero in live gameplay to suit your personal playstyle," the description reads. "Challenge the opponents with new abilities, challenges, and challenges that shift every match. Do you safely extract with your collected items? Or take a risk, risk it all, and hope your team can achieve the highest spot? The decision is yours."

Project Ethos lacks an announced debut schedule or supported systems, but fans can expect further news as production advances.