Owlcat Games is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a bang-600 employees, two major RPGs in the pipeline, and a clear message: the studio that brought you Pathfinder and Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader isn't abandoning the hardcore CRPGs that made it famous. According to recent interviews, Owlcat's next projects include the isometric CRPG Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy and the third-person sci-fi RPG The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, slated for 2027.
A Decade of CRPGs: Owlcat's Origin Story
It's been a whirlwind decade. Owlcat launched in 2016 with a Kickstarter for Pathfinder: Kingmaker, a game that would go on to sell 2 million copies and cement the studio's reputation for deep, rules-heavy RPGs. That was followed by Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous in 2021, which raised over $2 million on Kickstarter and introduced a new wave of players to the Pathfinder universe-more than 20% of its backers had never touched the tabletop game before. Then came Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader in 2023, which sold 500,000 copies in its first month and hit 1 million by early 2025, proving Owlcat could handle the grimdark 40K setting with aplomb.
Scaling Up: 600 People, Parallel Projects
But the studio isn't just resting on its laurels. Owlcat has grown to roughly 600 employees-up from around 400 just a couple of years ago-and is now running multiple projects in parallel. Head of publishing Andrey Tsvetkov told GamesRadar+ that the team has been 'speedrunning' its first decade, but the expansion allows Owlcat to take on bigger challenges without losing its soul. The co-founder echoed that in a PC Gamer interview, saying the studio 'won't turn its back on hardcore RPGs,' even as it preps what some are calling its own Mass Effect killer with The Expanse. The challenge, as Pathfinder fans know, is preserving the handcrafted, systems-driven feel that made Kingmaker and Wrath special when you're scaling up. But with Dark Heresy reportedly keeping its isometric CRPG roots and The Expanse venturing into third-person cinematic territory, Owlcat is balancing nostalgia with ambition.
Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy – The Next CRPG Frontier
For CRPG purists, Dark Heresy is the next big thing. Set in the Warhammer 40K universe, it follows an Inquisitorial retinue uncovering heretical conspiracies. The game is a direct descendant of Rogue Trader's design philosophy, but with a focus on investigation and narrative branching that could rival the likes of Baldur's Gate 3. Owlcat has already been running closed alpha tests with its community-a practice that dates back to its Kickstarter days-and early feedback suggests the studio is leaning hard into the setting's oppressive atmosphere and moral ambiguity. If Rogue Trader was about building your own empire, Dark Heresy is about tearing apart the secrets that hold the Imperium together.
The Expanse: Osiris Reborn – Owlcat Goes Third-Person
Then there's the wild card: The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, Owlcat's first third-person RPG. Based on the beloved sci-fi series, it's a departure from the isometric perspective, with real-time combat and cinematic storytelling that evokes Mass Effect. Tsvetkov confirmed the game is targeting a 2027 release, and while details are scarce, the studio is adamant it won't be a watered-down experience. 'We won't be quitting the CRPG genre,' he said, suggesting that The Expanse is an expansion of Owlcat's toolkit, not a replacement. The game's scope-with a brand-new original story set in the Expanse universe-positions it as Owlcat's most ambitious project yet.
The Community Engine: Why Owlcat Bets on Its Players
What ties all this together is Owlcat's unusual commitment to its player base. The studio's origins on Kickstarter meant that from day one, its games were shaped by backer feedback. That tradition continues: Alpha and beta access for Dark Heresy is already in the hands of players, and the studio has been transparent about iterating based on community input. Even Rogue Trader's post-launch trajectory-three major DLCs and a steady stream of patches-shows a studio that listens. As PC Gamer noted, the game is now 'disgustingly good' precisely because Owlcat kept refining its labyrinthine build options and dogmatic choices.
Rogue Trader Three Years Later: Still Disgustingly Good
Speaking of Rogue Trader, three years after its release, it's aged like fine amasec. PC Gamer's 2026 retrospective called it a 'deeply rewarding' CRPG with character builds so complex they'll keep min-maxers busy for years. The game's blend of 40K lore, tactical combat, and the freedom to go full heretic or pious saint still feels fresh. Sure, some launch-era bugs and UI clunkiness remain, but the sheer depth-from ship management to colony development-makes it a standout in the genre. If you've been on the fence, now is the time to jump in.
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What's Next for Owlcat Games
- Dark Heresy continues the CRPG tradition with a focus on investigation and narrative depth.
- The Expanse: Osiris Reborn aims for a 2027 release as Owlcat's first third-person RPG.
- The studio's growth to 600 employees enables parallel development but requires careful balancing.
- Community feedback remains central, with early alphas already shaping the next games.
- Rogue Trader is a must-play in 2026, deepened by years of updates and DLC.
Written by
Devon Yates
Launcher & Platforms
Devon follows the platform wars: stores, subscriptions and the battle for your launch screen. He writes the weekly news roundup.
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