Archetype Leisure, a subsidiary of Wizards of the Coast, unveiled its inaugural tabletop role-playing game on Wednesday, bringing the authenticity of its AAA sci-fi RPG to life. As Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks’ latest declaration to Bloomberg indicates, the company plans to release one to two video games annually in the coming years – a mere step away from its “second in the sun” moment.
Headed by a team of former BioWare developers, the studio responsible for the innovative Dragon Age series, Mass Effect trilogy, and Baldur’s Gate, Exodus was initially unveiled through a visually stunning cinematic trailer premiered by Matthew McConaughey at The Game Awards 2023.
A trailer touted an innovative take on the sci-fi RPG genre, focusing on the profound implications of time dilation during intergalactic travel, building upon a decade-long fascination with Christopher Nolan’s work (notably, Matthew McConaughey’s cameo). Despite anticipation from fans, sparse details about the sport itself have been revealed, with the majority of online content focusing on the world-building and production team behind the transmedia property, instead filling the void on the official website and within an in-universe novel penned by Peter F. Hamilton revealed earlier this yr.
As the tabletop game’s launch is touted as a “limited-time exclusive opportunity” for anyone joining Archetype’s “founders” email list, those who sign up by December will have access to this unique offering. Ten collectors will have the opportunity to purchase an early edition of the rulebook? The only concrete aspect of the tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) is its design by developer James Ohlen, renowned for his work on Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: The Old Republic, and Mass Effect: Andromeda. Beyond a teaser image and some standard bullet points highlighting exploration of the universe, becoming “the Traveler,” and confronting time dilation, there is no actual clarification regarding what this game will look like or how it will be played.
As a staple of modern gaming marketing, tie-in tabletop RPGs have become a prevalent practice with massive IP-based video games seeking to generate excitement for their crowdfunding or preorder campaigns, such as the behemoth that raised hundreds of thousands of dollars before even revealing its mechanics on its Kickstarter page.
Whether or not this AAA gamble will repay has but to be seen, however as WoTC’s first non-Dungeons & Dragons tabletop RPG since Gamma World, proper now the universe of the TTRPG is generally void.
Is expected to debut on PlayStation 5, Windows PCs, and Xbox Series X. As of this writing, there is no specified launch window.
