The Expanse: Osiris Reborn devs reveal companions — they can die because of your choices, and you can romance them
Aleksandr Manin
Ahead of its appearance at Xbox Partner Preview, Owlcat Games gave PC Gamer an exclusive look at the full squad of its sci-fi action RPG The Expanse: Osiris Reborn.
The game is set in the universe of The Expanse — grounded, hard sci-fi with no magic, aliens, or fantastic gadgets, focusing instead on human conflict and realism. For Owlcat, this is also a shift from isometric RPGs to a third-person action format — and the developers openly embrace comparisons to Mass Effect.
Each companion represents one of the three factions — Earth, Mars, or the Belt — and carries their own past. In combat, two accompany you directly, while others assist remotely by hacking systems or distracting enemies. Each has a unique “Exploit” ability that can influence battles through the environment.
Here’s the full squad:
- Jay — the protagonist’s first officer and twin. Appearance and gender are defined during character creation. Impulsive but loyal. Exploit: “Precision” — reveals weak points in the environment
- Theo — the ship’s doctor, who lost his license on Earth and jokes he was kicked out before even taking the oath. In heavy armor and on stimulants, he’s unexpectedly aggressive in combat. Exploit: “System Failure”
- Regina — a sniper, scout, and infiltration expert. Reserved, with a mysterious past and unclear motives. Exploit: “Precision”
- Aleesha — a hacker and electronic warfare specialist. Left corporate life behind for more challenging work; controls drones and hijacks enemy systems. Exploit: “Cyberattack”
- Polly — a young Belter, optimistic and talkative, eager to prove herself. In combat, she provides mobile support with a machine gun. Exploit: “Destruction” — destroys enemy cover
- Michael — a former UN soldier disillusioned with both the military and private security. Principled, with a difficult past, but always first into battle — carrying a shield and autocannon. Exploit: “Destruction”
- Zafar — an engineer, quiet and unexpectedly poetic. Deploys turrets and EMP devices to disable enemies. Exploit: “System Failure”
The developers confirmed romance options — though they haven’t revealed which companions are available for it yet. The key twist: companions can permanently die based on your decisions, and there’s no undoing it.
The Expanse universe is harsh, and some characters can die because of your choices.
The game is coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. A release date hasn’t been announced yet — more details are expected on March 26 during the Xbox Partner Preview.
Which companion caught your eye — and who’s going into your first squad? Who are you planning to romance? And are you even waiting for the game? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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