If you’ve been vibrating with excitement since Archetype Entertainment first dropped that cinematic trailer narrated by Matthew McConaughey back in 2023, you can finally take a breath. The studio just gave us our first actual taste of Exodus gameplay in a brand-new Community Update, and it’s looking every bit like the massive sci-fi action RPG we’ve been hoping for. With a heavy pedigree of former BioWare veterans at the helm, the DNA of classic space operas is all over this thing, but with a gritty, next-gen polish that only Unreal Engine 5 can deliver.
The footage kicks off by introducing us to our protagonist, Jun Aslan, along with two of his companions, Tom and Elise. We got to see a live combat encounter on the outskirts of Lyonesse, a location on the planet Lidon. The combat feels punchy and tactical, emphasizing that positioning and squad synergy are going to be huge. Seeing Elise let loose with a missile barrage while Jun navigates the battlefield using a weapon wheel for quick swaps really hammers home that this isn’t just a solo shooting gallery—it’s a team effort where your allies’ unique abilities can turn the tide of a desperate fight.
Beyond the shooting, the reveal highlighted how we’ll actually move through these massive alien worlds. We saw a traversal sequence on a towering space tower where Jun made use of the railclaw, a specialized tool that acts like a high-tech grappling hook. It looks like the railclaw will be a core part of the Traveler’s toolkit, allowing for verticality and clever vantage points during both exploration and combat. The sense of scale here is pretty staggering, especially when the camera pans out to show the dizzying heights of the Lyonesse architecture against the backdrop of the Centauri Cluster.
Exploration is clearly going to be a moodier, more atmospheric affair. The trailer wrapped up with Jun stepping into an ancient Celestial shrine on the planet Khonsu. The design language of the Celestials—the evolved transhumans who now rule the stars—is haunting and distinctly alien. As the music swelled and the environment opened up into these massive, pulsing chambers, it became clear that uncovering Celestial remnants is going to involve equal parts wonder and dread. It’s not just about the loot; it’s about the lore of a universe that has moved on for 40,000 years while humanity was just trying to survive.
Of course, the elephant in the room is still Time Dilation. While this first look focused on the moment-to-moment action, Archetype reminded us that every choice we make and every journey we take at light speed will have massive consequences. When you return from a mission, years or even decades might have passed for those you left behind. We’re still waiting for a deeper dive into how that specifically affects the RPG systems and romance options, but the studio promised an extended gameplay reveal coming this Summer 2026.
While we have to wait until early 2027 for the full release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, this first look does a great job of proving that Exodus is more than just a spiritual successor to our favorite space RPGs—it’s carving out its own legacy. It’s gritty, it’s beautiful, and it’s definitely one of the most ambitious projects we’ve seen in years.
