The Expanse – both the books and show – has always been praised for its realistic portrayal of our future. Humanity ventured forth, building colonies on Luna, Mars, and in the Asteroid Belt, but at its core, remained largely the same. Age-old conflicts, prejudices, and base desires shadowed humanity’s ascent into the stars.

In The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, this is the world where your character and their identical twin, J, were born. Seeking a better and simpler life, you both joined Pinkwater Security as mercenaries, but you couldn’t possibly have imagined that you would end up witnessing a massacre of thousands of innocent people on Eros station, the tragic deaths of your friends and colleagues, and that you would be forced to hijack an enemy’s experimental spaceship, making yourself a target for their vengeance.

We’re delighted to have presented a new trailer for the game in today’s Xbox Partner Preview broadcast, which includes a lot of new information. From the game’s Spring 2027 release window, the upcoming Closed Beta starting on April 22, 2026, as well as new gameplay, new locations, new characters, and a more detailed look at some of the systems we’re introducing. Let us walk you through everything you need to know.

Prepare to Fight Back

The Expanse: Osiris Reborn Closed beta will become available on Xbox Series X|S from April 22, 2026, for those who support the development of the game as Founders and purchase the Miller’s Pack or the Collector’s Edition on the game’s official site. The closed beta will run all the way up until release, so you have plenty of time to purchase either edition and jump in.

As for what you’ll be playing when you get access, the beta will allow you to experience a full mission taken directly from the game. It starts as you and your twin return to your base, Pinkwater 4 station, on a mysterious ship you took by force to escape from Eros.

The first person you meet is your old friend Zafar (voiced by Kerem Erdinc), who you might remember from our Announcement Trailer. He will later join your crew as a mechanic but, prior to that, he will play an important role in guiding you through the mission, even providing fire support when possible.

This is one of the key features of The Expanse: Osiris Reborn — your crew members can and will offer assistance even if they are not a part of your current squad. In the beginning, it will just be Zafar, but as you recruit more members for your crew, they will be able to assist you in more complex ways.

Choices Have Consequences

Each mission in The Expanse: Osiris Reborn presents you with a choice, one that may entail large long-lasting consequences, and Beta is no exception. I don’t want to spoil this one for you, but think carefully when making decisions that might affect the lives of others.

It may be someone you barely know, or someone dear to you. But, as you already know, the universe never tells us if we did right or wrong, and you will have to decide for yourself, and, ultimately, face the consequences of your decisions and actions.

It’s Not Just About Bullets

What will you do to defend yourself against a persistent enemy hounding your every move? In the Beta, you will be able to try different weapons: shotguns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, pistols, and submachine guns. Use cover to avoid enemy fire, but don’t stay in the same place for too long — some cover can be destroyed, and enemies won’t shy away from peppering you with a grenade or two. You can respond in kind, though. Various gadgets will be at your disposal, unlocking different abilities when you equip them.

Use a grenade equipped with a small engine for zero gravity combat, a tactical scanner to reveal where the enemies are hiding, or send a swarm of small drones after your enemies — these are just some of the many gadgets you will be able to try in Beta.

On top of that, we have added an Exploit system. These are combat opportunities which your companions can utilize to eliminate an entire group of enemies in one go. Sometimes you will see certain areas your companion can interact with. Wait for a group of enemies to approach that area, and then command your companion to deal with them. Exploits can be a huge help in combat, so don’t miss these opportunities!

Gather Your Crew Before Venturing Forth

During the Beta, only Zafar will be aiding you, but the trailer showcases some of your other potential crew members later in the game. One of them, the beautiful, mysterious and surprisingly well-connected Regina (voiced by Nola Klop), will be able to leverage her networking skills to help you to find allies against your common enemy. In combat, she will be far from dead weight, supporting you from afar with her excellent marksmanship.

Another companion you can spot in the trailer is Teo, who will serve as a medic aboard your ship, the Gemini. Michael (voiced by Will de Renzy-Martin) is a fellow mercenary, albeit one working for a competitor. His combat experience and skills will no doubt become a valuable asset.

And finally, there’s your dear twin JJ is your family and, even when they disagree with you, you know you can always rely on your sibling. J will always have your back.

This is not the whole story, nor your whole crew, though, so stay tuned for more news from Owlcat Games.

As you might expect, there’s far more to tell you about than we can squeeze in today – but we’re delighted to say that The Expanse: Osiris Reborn will launch in Spring 2027 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, and Xbox Cloud. It will be an Xbox Play Anywhere title, and available day one with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.