Cool for Kohli

Those of you who tuned into the latest PlayStation State of Play will have seen the exciting first gameplay reveal of Saros, the next title from Housemarque. Sure, it looks very much in the same vein as the studio's previous game, Returnal, but that's exactly what I wanted. Despite going into Returnal with no real expectations and the awareness that roguelites weren't generally for me, I came away wholly believing I'd just played the best game of this console generation. I still do.

This time out, we won't be playing as Selene. Instead, we'll be taking on the crushing challenges of Saros as Arjun Devraj, a new protagonist sporting the likeness and vocal talents of Rahul Kohli. For those unfamiliar, Kohli is a British-born actor known for on-screen roles in iZombie, The Haunting of Bly Manor, and Midnight Mass (to name a few). He's also no stranger to video games, having featured in Gears of War, Fallout 76, Call of Duty, and Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed. To me, he's best known as the voice of Malum Caedo, the player character in Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun (as well as just being a really cool and interesting follow on social media).

Clearly, this man is no stranger to the spotlight. With his experience of playing Caedo in Boltgun, it isn’t even the first time he'll be a protagonist in a popular video game. However, I think this specific role carries some additional weight for the actor...and he seems to agree. Posting across his social media, he notes how playing Arjun in Saros is "a dream come true."

He goes on to talk about how video games were his first love, going as far as to talk about them passionately at a careers assembly back when he was at school. His first job was actually working in video games retail as a sales assistant at Gamestation (RIP to the best UK game store we ever had). To go from those humble industry beginnings to on the box art as the hero of a PlayStation Studios first-party title must be wild, and he seems genuinely full of excitement and appreciation for the opportunity.

Is it weird to feel pride for someone I have zero personal or professional connection to? Hopefully not, because I am genuinely proud of Kohli. I've followed him online for quite some time, and he seems like good people. Someone with real empathy and social awareness who has a genuine love of video games and nerd culture. He's brimming with good vibes. To see his outpouring of love for this role and his reflective mood on his career to this point warms my little heart. Especially given, in his own words, that this "isn’t just a career highlight, it’s one of the best moments of my life."

I don't know about you, but I personally can't wait until March 20, 2026, when we get to play Saros for ourselves!