James S.A. Corey (aka Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck) created a truly original sci-fi adventure with The Expanse that was built around a not-so-unrealistic future vision of our own society. It’s one that was adapted into a cult favorite television series with such an enthusiastic following that they managed to save it from certain doom. After Syfy canceled The Expanse following its third season, the series found a new home on Prime Video after a major revival campaign, where it continued for another three seasons before reaching its conclusion in 2022.
However, the original novels extend well beyond the point where the television adaptation ended, leaving plenty of unexplored stories and characters in various corners of the solar system for the franchise to revisit someday. Fans hoping to return to that universe fortunately won’t have to wait much longer, as The Expanse is officially making its return in 2027 and bringing audiences a brand-new story that promises another journey into its dangerous vision of humanity’s future, albeit in an unconventional medium.
The Expanse Returns Yet Again In 2027
The Expanse‘s long-awaited return comes in 2027 courtesy of Osiris Reborn, a new third-person action RPG from Owlcat Games, the studio behind Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous and Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader. While it doesn’t adapt one of James S.A. Corey’s novels directly, Osiris Reborn tells an original story within the established universe, with an emphasis on decision-making, unique and original companions/NPCs, exploration, and squad-based combat.
Importantly, this isn’t a sequel to the television show’s sixth and final season, as Osiris Reborn instead takes place alongside the early events of The Expanse, beginning around the Eros crisis and overlapping roughly with the show’s first two-and-a-half seasons. It gives Owlcat room to play with familiar locations and events while following an entirely different group of characters rather than simply putting players in control of Holden and the Rocinante crew and rehashing the same story over again.
Players create their own captain, choosing an Earther, Martian, or Belter background (of course), while the game’s new ensemble includes the protagonist’s identical twin, J, alongside original companions such as mechanic Zafar, mercenary Michael, and medic Teo. Each crew member has their own personality, a specified role aboard the ship, and their own unique combat abilities, meaning you’ll have to utilize the crew and learn their strengths/weaknesses if you want to survive.
The Expanse: Osiris Reborn Tells An Original Story In A Familiar Timeline
The Expanse: Osiris Reborn has a great opportunity to give players a brand-new experience in a familiar timeline of its already established universe. The game runs parallel to some of the most important events from the beginning of show, allowing players to experience things through an entirely new group of characters’ perspectives. Developers have placed the story across roughly the first two-and-a-half seasons of the television series, meaning the destruction of the Canterbury, the Eros disaster, and the growing tensions between Earth, Mars, and the Belt all serve as a backdrop.
Players begin as a Pinkwater Security mercenary visiting Eros alongside their identical twin, J. Unfortunately, they happen to be there as the station descends into chaos, forcing the pair to escape aboard an experimental ship while losing friends and colleagues in the process. That escape ultimately puts the new crew in the middle of a much larger conspiracy and gives Owlcat its own storyline without needing to substantially alter Holden’s established journey or retcon anything and upset hardcore fans.
Players will travel to recognizable locations including Ceres, Mars, Luna, and Ganymede while witnessing how the events from the show affect people elsewhere in the solar system. Owlcat has also teased encounters with recognizable characters, creating opportunities for the game’s new cast to cross paths with characters fans already know and love/loath.
The Expanse: Osiris Reborn is scheduled for spring 2027, with Steam currently narrowing that to Q2 2027. It will launch on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC through Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG, with Xbox Game Pass availability starting on day one.
The Expanse: Osiris Reborn
- Developer(s)
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Owlcat Games
- Publisher(s)
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Owlcat Games
- Engine
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Unreal Engine 5
- Number of Players
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Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
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Unknown