James Ohlen Shifts From Archetype Entertainment Head to Creative Consultant for Tabletop RPGs at Wizards

James Ohlen is "shifting his focus" to tabletop RPGs once more after choosing to step down from Archetype Entertainment ahead of the studio's release of its first game Exodus. This week, Wizards of the Coast announced the move, with Ohlen leaving his post as lead of Archetype Entertainment and Blizzard veteran Paul Della Bitta stepping in to lead Wizards' Digital Ventures arm. Ohlen joined Wizards of the Coast back in 2019 to lead up Archetype Entertainment, a new internal games studio tasked with designing AAA games based on new IPs. Their first product, Exodus, is due out for release in 2027. According to a statement provided to GamesIndustry.biz, Ohlen felt that his work on Exodus was complete and that the final polishing and tuning were in "great hands" with the remaining team.

What's interesting about Ohlen's departure is that he will remain employed at Wizards as a creative consultant and that he is "shifting his creative focus" to TTRPGs. Shortly after departing Bioware, Ohlen launched Arcanum Worlds, a tabletop RPG studio publishing third-party 5E material. Ohlen developed a 5E-version of Exodus for Wizards and also released several DMs Guild supplements while employed with Wizards. Whether this means that Ohlen will have a bigger role on Dungeons & Dragons material in the future or if he'll continue to release his own brand of 5E material with a soft connection to Wizards remains to be seen.

 

[Reynard]

I very much doubt he was "taken" anywhere. Ohlen has power, he doesn't need the job, he can go pretty much were he likes, or just walk.

It's possible that the "fun" part of development is over and he's done. And it seems reasonable that his "consultant" status is for the Exodus TTRPG. One asssumes it will get revisions and maybe tie in stuff when the video game releases.

 

[...m...]

What wonderful news! Odyssey of the Dragonlords is phenomenal, and I really love Minsc and Boo's Journal of Villainy and Chains of Asmodeus! I'm excited to see what comes down the pipeline!!!

...raiders of the serpent sea and heroes of baldur's gate were both pretty great, too; definitely a level beyond what wizards had been developing in-house...

 

[THEMNGMNT]

I've worked in the video game industry for almost 20 years. I have no idea what's going on here. But it's safe to assume the press release is not telling the full story. Here is one possibility:

Ohlen has a CRPG pedigree and a clear love for D&D. I wouldn't be surprised if an exec at WotC approached him and said, "How would you like to make another D&D game?" And Ohlen said, "Actually, I have an idea for a scifi game. But we could make a tabletop version using the 5E rules." And the exec said, "Close enough. Here's $100 million to open up a studio and make your game." And thus Exodus was born.

Whoever made the original deal for Archetype has almost surely left WotC. Now imagine a new exec comes in, looks around, and thinks to themselves, "Why are we paying $100 million to develop a game that's not D&D with an IP that we'll probably never market, merchandise, or develop in any meaningful way?" That exec calls up Ohlen and says, "Your next game after Exodus has to be D&D." Ohlen, who has been there and done that, politely declines. Which brings us to the present.

There's a 50% chance that Archetype will be shut down after Exodus comes out. There's also a 50% chance they go on to make Baldur's Gate 4.

Again, this is all speculation. But this is how the industry works.

 

[Parmandur]

Whoever made the original deal for Archetype has almost surely left WotC.

Quote the contrary, actually, that would be Chris Cocks. Beyond still being around, he is at the top of the pyramid now at Hasbro as the CEO...and earlier this year showed up and played in James Ohlen's tabletop Exodus actual play...in Cosplay...


So, Ohlen still has friends at the literal highest places in Hasbro.

 

[Parmandur]

For more context, thisnis how Hasbro CEO Cheis Cocks dressed while playing TTRPGs with Ohlen on air:

 

[THEMNGMNT]

...yeah. Something here doesn't add up. When you create a new game IP from scratch you presumably want to sequel it. So why bail just as the first game is coming out? Typically it's because there's something happening at the corporate level you can't stomach.

 

[Parmandur]

...yeah. Something here doesn't add up. When you create a new game IP from scratch you presumably want to sequel it. So why bail just as the first game is coming out? Typically it's because there's something happening at the corporate level you can't stomach.

I agree, it is odd. Given how much fun he seems to be having with the TTRPG, it may juat legitimately be thst he wants to semi-retire.

 

[bedir than]

Whoever made the original deal for Archetype has almost surely left WotC. Now imagine a new exec comes in, looks around, and thinks to themselves, "Why are we paying $100 million to develop a game that's not D&D with an IP that we'll probably never market, merchandise, or develop in any meaningful way?" That exec calls up Ohlen and says, "Your next game after Exodus has to be D&D." Ohlen, who has been there and done that, politely declines. Which brings us to the present.

There's a novel, a ttrpg, dozens of trailers and story videos

Media

Introducing EXODUS - A new AAA science fiction action-adventure role-playing game franchise from Archetype Entertainment.

www.exodusgame.com

They're definitely marketing it.

There's a 50% chance that Archetype will be shut down after Exodus comes out. There's also a 50% chance they go on to make Baldur's Gate 4.

WotC has multiple studios available for BG4 work, including the blandly named Digital Studio which might just be doing the early dev now

 

[THEMNGMNT]

I mean t-shirts, movies, lunch pails, Funko dolls, etc. Not marketing for one game, but development of the brand.

 

[BovineofWar]

I'm not saying it won't happen, but it sounded like Cocks recruited Ohlen out of retirement for Archetype, which has an explicit goal of creating new IP for Wizards/Hasbro. So it would be odd to put Archetype to work on BG4, especially when the CEO that set them up is still in power.

All the Exodus merch is probably just waiting for closer to release of the game, they really haven't tried to promote the TTRPG or the novels yet.