If you have been waiting for a proper release date to circle on your calendar, Archetype Entertainment just delivered. The sci-fi RPG Exodus is launching on April 7, 2027, confirmed during Gamescom Opening Night Live alongside a new trailer that also introduced one of its most memorable companions yet. The game is coming to PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.
Use code TRYHARD33 at checkout to redeem this offer before code expires again.
Get 33% Off GAMES+ Subscription
Meet Salt, the bounty hunter in a mech suit
The trailer put the spotlight on Salt, a recruitable companion who happens to be an Awakened octopus piloting a combat mech. That sentence is not a joke. Salt is a mercenary and bounty hunter, and her combat kit reflects that personality. She brings long-range sniper capabilities, ink-based smokescreens that disorient enemies, and evasive manoeuvres that make her useful in chaotic encounters.
Here's the thing: Salt is not just a novelty. The trailer makes clear she has her own motivations that do not always align with your squad's survival. She will put the team at risk if the payout is right. That kind of morally complicated companion design is exactly what made the original Mass Effect trilogy's crew so memorable, and it looks like Archetype is leaning hard into that tradition.
The second new face: Emrys of the Deva
The trailer also introduced Emrys, a member of the celestial Deva species. Emrys plays a support role in battle, draining enemy power and converting it into protective Remnant Orbs that buff lead character Jun. It is a classic support archetype, but the lore hook is interesting. The Deva are Celestials, which in Exodus' fiction means they were once human, just the ones who left Earth first and evolved in ways that set them apart from the rest of humanity.
That tension between Celestials and the humans still trying to survive forms the backbone of the story. Jun is a scavenger with latent celestial abilities, trying to stop a spreading catastrophe called The Rot while navigating a galaxy where time does not move the same way everywhere.
From The Game Awards 2023 to a firm date in 2027
Archetype first revealed Exodus at The Game Awards in 2023. Since then it has become a fixture at Geoff Keighley's showcases, appearing at multiple events before today's Gamescom reveal finally nailed down a specific date. The progression from vague "early 2027" to a confirmed April 7 launch is meaningful. It signals the team is in the final stretch of development.
The wishlist numbers back up the appetite. Exodus has crossed 500,000 wishlists on Steam, which unlocked a Celestial Star Map decoration for the in-game apartment. More cosmetic rewards are tied to further wishlist milestones, so that number is likely to keep climbing between now and launch.
What the Mass Effect connection actually means
Archetype Entertainment is staffed by former BioWare developers, and the Mass Effect DNA is visible in everything from the companion system to the third-person combat structure. Drew Karpyshyn is the most recognisable name on the writing team, but the studio's collective experience means this is not just a nostalgia play. The team knows how to build the kind of RPG where your crew feels like real people with real agendas.
For anyone who has spent time with Exodus and its mix of survival tension and character-driven storytelling, the appeal of Exodus should be obvious. Both games share that commitment to making the world feel inhabited rather than decorative, even if their settings are very different.
Jun can be played as male or female and is guided by Matthew McConaughey as C. C. Orlev, marking McConaughey's first video game role. The setting is the 23rd century, with humanity having relocated 15,000 light years from Earth after being forced to abandon the planet.
April 2027 is now a date to watch
Exodus has been one of the more interesting games to track since its reveal, and the Gamescom trailer does a good job of showing why the 500,000 wishlist milestone is not surprising. The companion design has personality, the time dilation mechanic adds genuine narrative stakes, and the team behind it has the credentials to pull off an ambitious RPG.
April 7, 2027 gives you plenty of time to get up to speed. If you want to sharpen your RPG instincts before then, the gaming guides hub has you covered across a wide range of titles to keep you busy until launch day.
