Gaming world saw a very big announcement that was and still is the hottest topic among gamers and the aforementioned, to be specific, the departure of James Ohlen from his pioneering role. He is the director at Archetype Entertainment and a key figure in the development of the new sci-fi RPG, ‘Exodus.’ Hard to believe if true! As Hasbro’s VP, Abby Hodes, has stated, Ohlen thought he had contributed enough to the game and the professional team was in charge of the polishing and tuning phase. However, he still maintains his association with the company—he does it as a creative consultant for tabletop roleplaying games and not by completely leaving the premises. Moreover, Blizzard’s Paul Della Bitta, a veteran and co-founder of Dreamhaven, will be the new head of the entire Wizards of the Coast gaming division which includes Archetype.
What are the impacts of all these changes on ‘Exodus’ that was expected since its announcement? Let’s break it down since the online reactions have been… a very outspoken state.
Initially, the first and foremost reaction from many gamers on an instinctive level was pure anxiety. The replies included comments like ‘This kind of worries me’ and ‘That’s… very sus’ and many more of the same meaning. One user, DarkMessiah2012, even mentioned that he was reading the ‘Exodus’ book and fell in love with the universe and was hoping that this change in direction would not affect the game. It is a very instinctive approach from a gamer! The situation is like this: a key creative person has left the team in the middle of the project and the alarm goes off. What is the game jeopardized? Will it get a reboot? Are there any issues behind the scenes? These are the very questions being asked.
Conversely, others chimed in with the necessary context. A user by the name of PurityKnights got very candid and dropped such a nugget of information that it was the game-changer: ‘James retired from games development years ago because he wanted to follow his passion for tabletop. He only came out of retirement to make this game. Now that they are just polishing and tuning he can turn his focus back to tabletop.’ What an astonishing revelation! If the person’s main concern is tabletop roleplaying games—and he has projects like ‘Odyssey of the Dragonlords Remaster’ and ‘Stygian Passage’ in the works—then returning to that during the polish phase is not a warning; it is him following his dreams.
Another user, MrNickStick, was actually cheering: ‘Let the man cook!!’ He pointed out that Ohlen is focusing on tabletop ventures which is his true calling. Thus maybe this scenario is not a matter of someone leaving the ship but rather of someone passing the baton to another. Hasbro’s statement backs this up by saying that the major creative work is done and the team is now in the stage of fine-tuning. That is frequently when a project lead might transition out, especially if their specialty is in the initial vision and world-building.
Still, players’ nerves can’t be blamed. The game has been announced long ago and one user, rcop5592, very openly stated: ‘This game should have been out already. This game has been in development since 2019.’ Any leadership change feels enormous when the development extends. A further comment by Bruno Pulsone Thomaz even referred to the 2027 release window: ‘I had already found the release for 2027 strange, and now this, surely something is not well.’ The translation reveals a common sentiment of unease.
The appointment of Paul Della Bitta brings a new angle. A Blizzard vet definitely carries tons of experience but it also implies that there’s a change at the corporate level for the Wizards of the Coast side which has gaming sticks. As the original tweet explains, he is not only heading Archetype; he is controlling all of Wizards’ game divisions. That is a mighty task. For ‘Exodus,’ it hopefully would signal not interference but rather stability and resources. Some players, like clive174648, voiced that very hope: ‘I hope there isn’t much interference from WOTC and AE are allowed to continue with what they are doing.’
And by the way, there were comments too basic just asking to be understood. ‘People really can’t read,’ said one user, to which another responded, ‘Media literacy is dead when most comments are “this is sus”.’ A valid point, indeed! The official statement is very clear: Ohlen’s job is done, he is going to his medium of choice, and he is still here as a consultant. Not every personnel change is a fire alarm.
However, this is the gaming industry. We have already witnessed such a scenario. An iconic leader leaving sometimes marks the end of the era. The game is also expected to release on major platforms like PlayStation and Xbox.
