The Expanse: Osiris Reborn Aims High, Falls Short of Its Own Source

The Expanse: Osiris Reborn is pitching itself as a Mass Effect-style RPG set in one of television’s most respected science fiction universes. Early coverage suggests the ambition is clear but the game is not yet matching the storytelling bar set by its source material. Owlcat Games’ action RPG is due in spring 2027 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.

What Osiris Reborn is

Osiris Reborn is developed by Owlcat Games, best known for the Pathfinder CRPGs and Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, in partnership with Alcon Interactive Group. It builds on The Expanse novels by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, the writing duo known as James S. A. Corey, and some actors from the television series reprise their roles.

Players take command of the Pinkwater Security mercenary squad, operating a frigate and fighting to survive in space. The game was first presented at the Future Games Expo in June 2025 and was nominated at the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards for Best Game Trailer and Most Wanted Game.

The gameplay loop

The structure draws directly on Mass Effect: third-person squad combat, a crew of companions with their own stories, choices that shape relationships, romance options and a ship that serves as your base between missions. It is a notable shift for Owlcat, whose previous games were isometric and turn-based or real-time with pause.

That shift is where early impressions find the most trouble. Coverage argues that great RPGs are notoriously hard to showcase and that Osiris Reborn stumbles at exactly that hurdle, with presentation that has not yet conveyed why its story and characters should stand beside the show.

Is it faithful to The Expanse?

The TV adaptation earned its reputation through grounded politics, believable physics and strong character work across Earth, Mars and the Belt. Players will expect the game to capture that tone. Using a mercenary crew rather than the show’s heroes gives Owlcat room to tell a new story, but it also means the game has to earn attachment to characters without the benefit of familiar faces.

What remains unclear from current coverage is whether the underlying design is solid but poorly communicated, or whether there are deeper issues with how the game handles its role-playing systems, story branching and combat. Owlcat’s record with dense, reactive narratives gives reason for patience.

Why it matters

For RPG fans, there are few games trying to fill the space Mass Effect left, and a narrative-heavy space RPG from an experienced studio is worth tracking. For fans of The Expanse, this is the most substantial game set in that universe to date.

With release set for spring 2027, the next few months of previews will decide whether Osiris Reborn builds confidence. The key things to watch are whether companion writing and choices feel meaningful, and whether the move to real-time combat is polished enough to carry a full-length RPG campaign.