New space RPG from Mass Effect veteran takes a hard sci-fi approach to FTL travel, and that means there's nothing that can save you from the ravages of time

Exodus
(Image credit: Archetype)

Last year, a group of BioWare veterans unveiled Exodus, a new space RPG made by former developers from Halo, The Last of Us, and, of course, those classic BioWare RPGs. While hopping around the galaxy in BioWare is a pretty speedy affair, though, Exodus takes a substantially more scientifically accurate approach.

In a new FAQ, the developers attempted to explain that approach. One of Exodus' key ideas is Time Dilation - the principle that the closer you get to Light Speed, the slower time moves for you. In Exodus, that means that "while you may experience only days or weeks passing by on your own journey, years or even decades will pass for everyone and everything else in the galaxy."

That idea is key to Exodus' choice-based gameplay and multiple endings - the decisions you make in the present could be felt years, decades, or even centuries down the line, after you return from your spacefaring adventures. And developer Archetype is keen to make sure that you know there's no way to reduce the effects of Time Dilation.

The devs describe the phenomenon as "an inescapable fact of our universe," and "an immutable law of physics." That means that "there is no possible way to prevent, avoid, or alter the effects of time dilation." No items, abilities, or technologies will protect players from the long-term consequences of their actions, because Time Dilation is stitched into our understanding of the universe, and Exodus is taking a pretty 'hard sci-fi' approach to its world, the core facets of the game based on Einsteinian physics.

That hard sci-fi is also based around the understanding that it's not possible to travel at the speed of light, but to help with that, Exodus relies on a technology known as the 'Gates of Heaven'. A hyper-advanced technology left behind by a missing race known as the Elohim, these Gates allow Travelers - those who explore the galaxy and will have to deal with the effects of Time Dilation - to accelerate instantly so close to Light Speed that interstellar travel becomes possible.

There are some hints around the narrative of Exodus hidden within the description of the Gates. The Elohim's absence from the galaxy seems a likely plot point, and there are also mentions of what happens if the Gates are attacked or otherwise destroyed, as well as in-universe rumors of a virus capable of damaging the Gates. If I know anything about galaxy-spanning time-based sci-fi, it's that if a character can get trapped on the other side of the known universe with no obvious way of getting home before being Deus Ex Machina'd back to civilization, they will.

As yet, there's no word on when Exodus will release, but as it's planned for release on PS5 and Xbox Series X, as well as PC, it shouldn't be more than a few years away.

Mass Effect 5 director gives props to Exodus, the new time-hopping sci-fi game from BioWare RPG veterans.

Ali Jones
News Editor

I'm GamesRadar's news editor, working with the team to deliver breaking news from across the industry. I started my journalistic career while getting my degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick, where I also worked as Games Editor on the student newspaper, The Boar. Since then, I've run the news sections at PCGamesN and Kotaku UK, and also regularly contributed to PC Gamer. As you might be able to tell, PC is my platform of choice, so you can regularly find me playing League of Legends or Steam's latest indie hit.

Read more
Big In 2025: Exodus
Former BioWare devs' new RPG Exodus will potentially age your loved ones while you're away: "Decisions a player makes will compound over a significant period"
Exodus
Former Mass Effect veterans' new RPG Exodus puts us in the shoes of an organization that has "inspiration from the Jedi"
A screenshot from Exodus' debut trailer
Mass Effect veterans have another Normandy-type "major hub" in their new space RPG Exodus, but this time it's an entire city
Exodus screenshot
Mass Effect veterans' new sci-fi RPG Exodus gets action-packed gameplay trailer featuring gunfights with aliens and, uh, a giant grizzly bear
Blood of Dawnwalker protagonist
Ex-CDPR devs explain how new open-world vampire RPG Blood of Dawnwalker handles its time-limited story, and I'm getting big Persona vibes: "It doesn't require you to rush"
Star Wars: Eclipse screenshot shows two lightsabers with an advancing army in the background
Star Wars Eclipse: Everything we know so far
Latest in RPG
Starfield
Bethesda breaks silence as Starfield fans hope for an update: "We have a lot of exciting things planned for the game this year"
A painting shows a woman sleeping as a demon with three eyes bites her chest.
Final Fantasy 7 concept artist Yoshitaka Amano's new gallery exhibit summarizes everything I love about the Square Enix games, even though he might have stood me up
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 screenshot of Henry wearing a fancy coat, hat, and spectacles
I'm terrible at the combat in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, so I'm beating the RPG as a medieval rizz master instead
Four adventurers journey into a dim dungeon
Dark and Darker's legal battles are far from over as the popular extraction RPG has been pulled from the Epic Games Store again
Monster Hunter Wilds
Monster Hunter Wilds art director and 20-year series vet says the new game intentionally leans into a question fans have debated forever: "What is a hunter?"
Skyrim
Skyrim is still an all-time great for asset reuse: this hunk of human flesh could be some poor guard's glute, or probably just a piece of repurposed beef
Latest in News
The cast of Thunderbolts
Thunderbolts director says the new Marvel movie is inspired by Toy Story 3: "Can they get out of the trash can together?"
Starfield
Bethesda breaks silence as Starfield fans hope for an update: "We have a lot of exciting things planned for the game this year"
The Last of Us 2
Naughty Dog has done it: it's remastered the PS5 controller with a Last of Us-themed DualSense announcement 24 hours after Neil Druckmann dashed our hopes for The Last of Us 3
Assassin's Creed Shadows cinematic screenshot
Assassin's Creed Shadows reverses roles to show off Naoe's combat and Yasuke's stealth, and I'm suddenly sold on playing Yasuke like a clumsy Snake in Metal Gear Solid 3
Alien Earth teaser
New Alien: Earth teaser introduces us to new cast members and the cutest little cat – and if a Xenomorph eats it, I will be furious
Three RTX 5070 gaming PCs on a purple background
I'm surprised to see some RTX 5070 gaming PCs under $2,000 - these are the three prebuilds I'd buy this week