Say Hello to The Expanse: Osiris Reborn’s Champions

I’m so excited about The Expanse: Osiris Reborn! Owlcat Games, the team behind it, are known for creating RPGs where your companions really feel like real people – their beliefs, pasts, and even just chatting with them can massively impact how the story unfolds. It’s still a while off – we won’t see it until Spring 2027 – but honestly, I think how well they develop those mercenary companions will be key to whether the game is a huge success or not. They really make you care about the people you’re adventuring with!

Creating interesting characters is especially challenging in this game due to its realistic sci-fi setting. Unlike typical fantasy games, the developers can’t rely on magic or easy tropes to make characters stand out. Instead, each companion in Osiris Reborn needs to develop a unique personality through their beliefs, backstory, and the tensions between people from Earth, Mars, and the Belt. This is a tough task, which is why the newly revealed companions are so noteworthy – especially with the closed beta test coming up in April.

Osiris Reborn’s Companions and the Exploit System

Before we meet the characters, let’s look at their unique abilities, called Exploits. These abilities connect each companion’s personality to how they fight. In Osiris Reborn, every companion specializes in one of four types of Exploits: Precision, Demolition, Malfunction, or Cyber-attack. These Exploits let each companion use abilities that fit their individual character during battles.

Osiris Reborn’s Exploits:

Precision: lets a companion identify environmental weak points, triggering collapses or hazards
Demolition: destroys cover and terrain outright, forcing enemies into the open
Malfunction: sends electrical systems haywire
Cyber-attack: hijacks enemy tech entirely, turning it against its owners

Each character’s special abilities, called Exploits, reflect their personality. While not all of these abilities are known yet, we’ve seen examples like a demolition expert with a shield and shoulder cannon, and another who uses armor and a submachine gun. It’s currently a little unclear how well these abilities connect to each character’s story, but it’s a good sign for Owlcat’s first attempt at a 3rd-person RPG.

J Represents the Player’s Closest Ally and Narrative Mirror

Exploit: Precision

J is a unique character – the protagonist’s identical twin. This means J will look and be the same gender as the character you create. However, J has a distinct personality: they’re impulsive, incredibly loyal, and will be your trusted companion. In battle, J’s abilities highlight this individuality, letting them quickly assess the situation and react instinctively to find crucial openings or weaknesses.

Teo Adds Moral Complexity to the Combat Medic Archetype

Exploit: Malfunction

Teo is the ship’s doctor, but he lost his license back on Earth. He’s loud and doesn’t seem to care about losing his medical credentials, instead throwing himself into the role of a highly effective combat medic. He wears heavy armor and uses experimental drugs to bravely enter the thick of battle, something most doctors wouldn’t do. While his character type isn’t new, his willingness to bend the rules aligns with the show’s overall distrust of authority. His ability to disrupt electrical systems is a bit unusual, considering his reliance on stimulants, but it further proves he’s someone who operates outside the established system rather than following it.

Regina Embodies Espionage and a Quiet Agenda

Exploit: Precision

Regina serves as the team’s sniper, scout, and infiltrator, but her backstory is intentionally mysterious, making discovering her true goals a key part of the game. Given the setting’s focus on secret political dealings between Earth, Mars, and powerful corporations, a character with hidden motives feels right at home. Her unique ability, Precision Exploit, complements this perfectly, hinting that her personal story will be complex and surprising. Players have already drawn comparisons to Miranda from Mass Effect 2, which makes her relatable and instantly one of the more interesting characters.

Aleesha Brings Corporate Rebellion into Crew Dynamics

Exploit: Cyber-attack

Aleesha left her corporate job to work independently, seeking out challenging problems not for financial gain, but because she enjoys the mental challenge. In the world of The Expanse, large corporations control everything from mining asteroids to influencing elections, making someone who intentionally rejects that system a powerful figure. She’s described as a somewhat sarcastic hacker, and her ability to exploit cyber vulnerabilities directly reflects her beliefs. However, beneath the snark and relevant skills, there’s a sense of deeper, stronger principles at play.

Polly Blends Optimism and a Belter’s Perspective

Exploit: Demolition

Polly grew up in space as a Belter, a group often overlooked and mistreated in the world of The Expanse. When fighting, she uses explosives along with a submachine gun and protective armor. However, Polly’s biggest strength so far is her personality. She has the potential to become the heart of the crew, the character players connect with the most and through whom they experience the game’s political issues. She’s driven to prove her worth and achieve something meaningful, and that desire carries extra weight because of the challenges faced by people from the Belt.

Michael Reinforces the Setting’s Militaristic Undertones

Exploit: Demolition

Michael is the classic hardened soldier: he started with the UN, moved into private security, and ultimately became a mercenary after losing faith in the system. Though he’s a man of principles haunted by a past trauma, he fearlessly throws himself into combat, equipped with demolition expertise, a shield, and a powerful autocannon. Considering the world of Expanse, a soldier who’s become disillusioned with the UN is uniquely suited to question its values and actions.

Zafar Brings Depth and Engineering Ingenuity

Exploit: Malfunction

Zafar is known for being thoughtful and deliberate with his words, sometimes even speaking poetically. His experience as an engineer deeply influences his approach to the technology in The Expanse, which prioritizes practicality and survival. In combat, he prefers to use turrets and devices that disrupt enemy equipment, wearing them down strategically instead of attacking directly. This methodical style suits a character who understands machines so well he can exploit their weaknesses, and hints that there’s more to his past than just technical skill.

Osiris Reborn’s Companions Could Be the Game’s Defining Strength

The seven main characters in The Expanse: Osiris Reborn reflect the complex social and political landscape of The Expanse universe, and their importance to the game’s success is likely significant. Creating characters for an established, politically driven world is difficult, but the studio’s previous work on Pathfinder games is encouraging. Owlcat clearly understands what makes The Expanse compelling: characters shaped by their backgrounds, beliefs, and past experiences. If the game successfully captures this, The Expanse: Osiris Reborn has the potential to be a particularly insightful sci-fi RPG.

2026-03-28 19:05