James Ohlen joined Wizards of the Coast again in 2019 after a 22-year stint at BioWare to create a brand new IP for the Hasbro-owned tabletop gaming firm. Six years later, after cofounding Archetype Leisure to ship a really Mass Impact-looking RPG known as Exodus, he’ll now not be head of the studio when the sport finally ships in 2027.
“At this stage, James felt his work on the sport was full and that the sharpening and tuning have been in nice palms with the crew,” Hasbro VP of Communications Abby Hodes informed Bloomberg in an announcement. She added that Ohlen requested to “shift his inventive focus” and would stay a marketing consultant for the corporate on tabletop gaming.
That is James Ohlen. He was the lead designer for Baldur’s Gate 1 & 2, Dragon Age: Origins, Star Wars: Knights of the Outdated Republic and now he is making EXODUS.
He has been known as the “godfather of Bioware design”. With out James, you would not have Baldur’s Gate 3 or any of… pic.twitter.com/5RwfX4GAGN
— MrHulthen (@mrhulthen) December 16, 2025
Up to date with a brand new trailer throughout final week’s Recreation Awards 2025 showcase, Exodus touts the entire issues followers liked about Mass Impact, together with bespoke relationships with NPCs, however with a brand new time dilation twist the place the affect of decisions gamers make will present up after they return to previous areas many years and even centuries sooner or later. It’s an expensive-looking sport from a model new studio that started work in the course of the pandemic, which could be a part of why the delayed challenge continues to be a few years from launching.
However Exodus isn’t simply the potential begin of a brand new franchise, it’s a whole world that Hasbro desires to make use of as a springboard for different merchandise. Wizards launched an Exodus TTRPG e book earlier this yr and would little doubt love to have a look at buying and selling card and TV spin-offs if the sport finally turns into a Clair Obscur: Expedition 33-like hit.
Bloomberg additionally stories that Ohlen stepping down comes alongside Blizzard veteran and Dreamhaven co-founder Paul Della Bitta changing into head of Wizards’ Digital Ventures division beneath fellow Blizzard veteran John Hight. Loads of different BioWare veterans nonetheless stay at Archetype, together with Chad Robertson and Drew Karpyshyn.
