Mass Effect spiritual successor Exodus "is in a good place," former studio head says amid departure speculation

Upcoming sci-fi adventure Exodus "is in a good place," Archetype Entertainment's former studio head James Ohlen reassures us in response to speculation around his decision to step down. The move was revealed in December, shortly after the debut of its latest trailer, with parent company Hasbro stating that Ohlen "felt his work on the game was complete and that the polishing and tuning were in great hands with the team." Now, he has expanded on that decision in an attempt to quash any rumors that there might have been more going on behind the scenes, stating that he was eager to avoid burnout.

In the chaos of The Game Awards, you might have let the trailer for Exodus pass you by, but it's one that's very high indeed on my list of most-wanted upcoming PC games. With many former BioWare veterans at developer Archetype, and a universe helmed by narrative lead Drew Karpyshyn, who previously wrote Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and the first two Mass Effect games, there's plenty of reason to believe it could rank among the best RPGs when it arrives.

While its central premise is a relatively standard 'rags to galactic savior' story, I'm particularly taken by the concept of using time dilation. In certain situations, you must make long treks at near-lightspeed between planets, causing many years to pass on the worlds in what feels to you like a matter of days or weeks. This combines the impactful choices of games like Mass Effect with the ability to fast-forward the clock, allowing for much more dramatic results, as seen to great effect in the likes of Obsidian's Pentiment. Plus, it has Matthew McConaughey.

"There has been some speculation about me stepping down as studio head of Archetype," Ohlen writes in his latest message via social platform X. He reassures, "That decision was one I made last summer. While Hasbro would have preferred I stay, the departure was amicable and fully supported, and I remain on good terms with everyone involved.

"After more than six years building Archetype and leading a triple-A project while balancing both creative and business responsibilities, I reached a point where stepping back made sense," Ohlen continues. "Burnout is not unusual in this industry, and it felt like the right moment for new leadership to guide the project forward. Exodus is in a good place, guided by creative leaders I have worked with and trusted for decades, including Jesse Sky, with whom I originally founded Archetype."

Ohlen is remaining with Wizards of the Coast as a creative consultant, but will be working more in the realm of tabletop RPGs. "Right now I am focusing on what I enjoy most: story and world building," he concludes. "I am developing new worlds through my own company, Arcanum Worlds, and I also have a couple of upcoming books funded by Hasbro that I am excited to share soon."

It's certainly true that the game industry has a rather nasty reputation for overwork and burnout, so I'm happy to see someone making the decision that's best for them. While Ohlen's influence on Exodus as the studio lead would have been a big one, there's no reason to believe the project is suddenly in danger following his departure. Archetype Entertainment is planning the Exodus release date for early 2027. You can wishlist it here if you want to stay up to date with it.