James Ohlen Steps Back from Exodus Development
In a notable shift at Archetype Entertainment, James Ohlen, a seasoned BioWare veteran with 22 years under his belt and the director of Baldur’s Gate, is stepping aside from the sci-fi RPG Exodus, ahead of its projected 2027 release. According to a report from Bloomberg, Abby Hodes, Hasbro’s VP of corporate communications, stated that Ohlen “felt his work on the game was complete and that the polishing and tuning were in great hands with the team.”
Exodus, which made its debut announcement back in 2023, has experienced multiple delays since its initial unveiling. Hodes indicated that Ohlen will now “shift his creative focus” back to tabletop RPGs. In fact, he co-founded RPG book publisher Arcanum Worlds after leaving BioWare in 2018. In a parallel development, Hasbro is bringing in Paul Della Bitta, a former Blizzard lead, to spearhead its video game initiatives within D&D publisher Wizards of the Coast.
Currently, Archetype Entertainment is on the hunt for a senior producer, emphasizing the need for someone who can “drive our first game to launch.” The position’s description highlights aspirations of building a “new science fiction universe” for their inaugural multiplatform role-playing game, aiming to craft what could be the “greatest story-driven roleplaying games in the world.”
As for Exodus, the game promises an interstellar adventure set a staggering 40,000 years into the future, though a specific release date remains unconfirmed. Online reactions have been mixed, with one Reddit user expressing disappointment, stating, “Crazy how between the trailer, the delay, and now this, I went from being super excited for Exodus to not giving a shit all within a span of like a week.”