Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Writer Drew Karpyshyn Joins Archetype Entertainment

Drew Karpyshyn, a writer whose works include titles like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect, and Jade Empire, has announced that he will join Archetype Entertainment as the studio’s lead writer. 

“I’m proud to announce that I’m the lead writer for Archetype Entertainment,” says Karpyshyn via a blog post. “Founded by James Ohlen – the creative genius behind BioWare hits like Baldur’s Gate, KOTOR, and Dragon Age – Archetype is a new video game studio under the Wizards of the Coast umbrella… and I haven’t been this excited to work on a project in a long, long time!”

Considering Karpyshyn’s resume and his relationship with Ohlen, this is an incredibly exciting announcement made all the more intriguing by Karpyshyn’s honest and heartfelt look at his own time at BioWare and why he eventually left the company. 

“When I started at BioWare, everything was fresh and exciting,” writes Karpyshyn. “It was a dream job – talented people working together to create epic games like Baldur’s Gate, KOTOR, Mass Effect, and Dragon Age. But as we grew and became more successful, things changed. We became more corporate. We were less able to make what we loved, and the teams were pushed to create games based on market research rather than our creative instincts and passions. My dream job became just a job, and I lost the enthusiasm and excitement I once had. But with Archetype, my passion has been rekindled. The feel in the studio reminds me of my early days at BioWare; I can feel the magic in the air.”

When it was announced that James Ohlen would lead Archetype Entertainment with the assistance of fellow ex-BioWare employee Chad Robertson, many people hoped that the studio could eventually become a kind of new BioWare meant to represent the best aspects of the once-beloved (and now somewhat spiraling) studio. With the signing of Karpyshyn (and the words that he shared) it really does seem that is the case. 

Unfortunately, we still don’t know what, exactly, Archetype Entertainment is working on. Early hints indicate that it will be a more sci-fi focused RPG based on an original property, but if there’s more to know about the game at this time, none of the exceptional people who are working on it are ready to share them just yet. 

Matthew Byrd is a staff writer for Den of Geek. He spends most of his days trying to pitch deep-dive analytical pieces about Killer Klowns From Outer Space to an increasingly perturbed series of editors. You can read more of his work here or find him on Twitter at @SilverTuna014.