Epic science fiction RPG Exodus was revealed during the 2025 Game Awards to be released in early 2027. Initial rumors had suggested the game would have a 2026 release date. It has not been confirmed whether Exodus' Displacement of release date was done to avoid collision with Grand Theft Auto 6, which is currently set to premiere on November 19, 2026, its second major delay. However, developer Archetype Entertainment revealed that, as a smaller studio, they had to consider factors such as when Grand Theft Auto 6 would arrive as they navigated their own release date.
In a conversation with Game Rant, Archetype Entertainment Vice President and Studio General Manager Chad Robertson, Exodus Game Director Chris King and Narrative Director Drew Karpyshyn were honest about the need to consider the shifting release dates for major projects. All three have extensive experience in the video game industry, working with titles such as Mass effect and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and are well versed in the necessity of carefully determining the perfect release date for a game. While they could not directly confirm or deny about Grand Theft Auto 6 was the main motivation behind the choice to drop Exodus In 2027, they indicated that the long-awaited upcoming game had at least some impact.
As Archetype's first game, Exodus will create a reputation
Exodus is not Karpyshyn, Robertson or King's first game, but it will be the first release from Archetype Entertainment, which was established by Dungeons and dragons publisher Wizards of the Coast in 2019. Archetype Entertainment's stated goal is to expand Wizards' profile beyond Dungeons and dragons and Magic: the Gathering and establish the company in the field of video games. Robertson admitted the team is very aware of that Exodus will play a major role in shaping the studio's reputation. He said:
“We're a new studio from a relatively new video game publisher. This game is super important for us to establish Archetype and establish Wizards [of the Coast] and Hasbro, hopefully, as serious competitors, and people who can make great games that get fans excited.”
Because of this, Robertson felt that he and the rest of Archetype's leadership were “very aware of key release dates to make sure we didn't set ourselves [in] a window where there is so much competition that we get lost in the signal.” He could not explicitly confirm whether the now delayed Grand Theft Auto 6 was part of the “contest” the team was considering, but it's a distinct possibility.
The upcoming latest post in Grand Theft Auto franchise is one of the most anticipated games in recent years. Currently, it is planned to be launched on November 19, 2026. There have been several delays including Grand Theft Auto 6s release date — it was initially speculated to be a 2025 release, before it was announced for May 2026 and later moved to its current November schedule. Earlier in 2025, several publishers indicated that they were holding off on announcing games or were prepared to push back release dates to avoid competing with Grand Theft Auto 6, and it is definitely possible Exodus was one of those titles.
“Everybody figures out how to navigate timing” – Exodus isn't the only headline affected
Robertson went on to say that he knew Archetype Entertainment and the Exodus team were not the only ones affected by possible timing issues regarding major releases such as Grand Theft Auto 6. “We are not alone,” he said emphatically. “We all have colleagues who are in similar situations with their own games.” He didn't name names, but Archetype is certainly far from the only studio considering the potential impact of upcoming major releases in 2026 and beyond.
The current situation is particularly tricky for developers, as it is not out of the realm of possibility Grand Theft Auto 6 could see another delay to 2027 or even longer, meaning that titles such as Exodus moving their own release dates to that year might not help them in the end. Exodus is a game that already has many eager fans looking forward to its release, but the team is realistic about the fact that many players have been waiting over a decade for Grand Theft Auto 6 to come out. The ever-increasing price of games, which was a big topic of discussion throughout 2025, is also a factor that developers need to consider – sometimes players can't afford to buy every game they're interested in.
Robertson spoke bluntly about his feelings about the current state of game publishing and the games industry in general:
“Everyone is trying to figure out how to navigate that timing, to make sure they don't lay [their] game out at a time when people either don't have the attention span or the resources to buy another game, whatever that might be.”
Despite concerns about navigating the perfect release date, Robertson is hopeful Exodus will reach its intended audience. “We certainly hope so exodus, [if] we take the right time, [if] we've made the right game for the right kind of fans, that they're going to love it.” Exodus' new trailer at the Game Awards 2025, which gave a more in-depth look at protagonist Jun Aslan and the dangers that threaten Jun's home world, was met with applause and cheers, which definitely seems to indicate that Robertson's hopes are not unfounded.
There is definitely some disappointment among excited fans eager to play Exodus that they have to wait until 2027 to do so. The game has been creating a lot of hype ever since its reveal in 2023 and the announcement of Matthew McConaughey's role as CC Orlev. But Robertson, King and Karpyshyn are dedicated to providing the best gaming experience possible and are determined to release Exodus at the perfect date and time for Archetype Entertainment's debut game.
- Released
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2027
- Developer
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Archetype Entertainment
- Publisher
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Wizards of the Coast
