Exodus Character Customization Looks Limited—Facial Features and Skin Tone Locked
Exodus is being developed by a group of former BioWare staff, so it’s no surprise that many players are already measuring it against Mass Effect. One specific area where those comparisons are becoming more concrete is character customization—what you can (and can’t) change about the game’s lead character.
Exodus Character Customisation Options Revealed
Archetype, the studio behind Exodus, has shared details about the character customization features that will be available when the game launches. The key takeaway is that the customization approach is not meant to be a broad, “build anyone” system. Instead, the developers say they’ve made a deliberate creative choice to create a more firmly defined character identity.
In the update, the team describes the system as “curated options” rather than a full slider-based character creator. The character you build—Jun Aslan—will still have choices, but the overall look is intended to remain more consistent and established. The options they highlighted include hairstyles, facial hair, hair color, eye color, makeup, and tattoos.
The developers also framed this as part of how Jun is meant to fit their vision, while still allowing room for players to add touches of personal style within those boundaries.
Why Players Are Reacting Negatively
Even with the list of customization elements in hand, it’s not clear whether these are the full extent of what players will be able to alter. Still, the reaction has been mostly negative, with many fans focusing on what isn’t mentioned.
Skin color customization is the biggest missing item in the announcement. For players hoping for a more flexible character creation system, that omission suggests Jun may be locked into a look that feels more like a “genetic protag” design rather than a fully customizable avatar.
There are also concerns about gender options. The system is described as limited to male and female, with no non-binary option included—something that’s increasingly common in other RPGs. Compounding that, players haven’t seen much yet of Jun’s female appearance, which has left many expecting to mostly see (and identify with) the “dude Jun” version for now.
Does a Defined Protagonist Explain the Limits?
The decision to position Jun as a more set protagonist is understandable on a practical level: fewer character variations can reduce the burden on animation work for dialogue scenes and cutscenes. Some fans even accept that this may make development easier.
However, the “set protagonist” explanation doesn’t fully address why the customization options would be so narrow. The comparison point is historical: other well-defined leads in major RPGs were still customizable in ways that went beyond what’s currently being described for Jun.
Revan in KOTOR and Commander Shepard in Mass Effect are both cited as examples of protagonists with strong identity, while still allowing players to adjust appearance. Hawke in Dragon Age 2 is brought up as an especially relevant case because the game could change not only Hawke but also the appearance of Hawke’s family members depending on how players designed their Hawke.
In that context, fans argue that Exodus could have offered a more robust customization range even with a character that remains clearly defined—particularly if the goal is to align the protagonist’s look with a consistent narrative presence.
What This Means for Exodus When It Launches
Ultimately, the sentiment here is split but not evenly. BioWare fans still appear interested in trying Exodus, but disappointment centers on the expectation that customization will be limited compared to what players have come to want from modern RPGs.
If Exodus wants to win over the audience, it won’t just need to match the franchise-level tone people associate with this team—it will also need to address whether these design choices hold up once players actually start experimenting with the system. The game is still set to launch sometime next year, and that timing will be when the “curated options” approach either feels like a thoughtful fit for Jun—or a step back from what players were hoping for.
- The dev team says Exodus will use curated customization options rather than a full slider-based character creator.
- Highlighted options include hairstyles, facial hair, hair color, eye color, makeup, and tattoos.
- Players are concerned skin color customization isn’t included based on what was shared.
- Gender selection is described as male and female only, with no non-binary option.
- Some fans argue that limiting customization is inconsistent with how other defined RPG protagonists were still customized in the past.
