Two former BioWare developers are creating a sci-fi RPG at their newly formed studio, Archetype Entertainment. Ex-BioWare creative director James Ohlen is the studio head, and former BioWare Austin studio director Chad Robertson is vice president and studio general manager. Archetype Entertainment is an autonomous division of Wizards of the Coast, which owns Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering.
The new Austin, Texas-based studio is “assembling a world-class team” to create a multi-platform title with a focus on player choice. Archetype’s website suggests the developer plans to create a portfolio of story-driven RPGs:
At Archetype, we believe there will always be a place for story-driven roleplaying games that put the player at the center of an epic personal narrative with impactful choices. We are building games that represent the diversity of our audience. We also believe that game studios should empower top developers and challenge them with ambitious projects that are shaped by a strong, clearly communicated creative vision.
Ohlen is known for working on some of the most important RPGs of the last 20 years, including Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age: Origins, the Baldur’s Gate series, and Mass Effect. He left the company in June of 2018, with Robertson following in November of last year.
Archetype Entertainment was founded in 2019 at Wizards of the Coast, so it may be some time yet before we hear about what the team is up to.
