Owlcat Games, the studio behind hits like Pathfinder: Kingmaker and Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, is venturing into uncharted territory with The Expanse: Osiris Reborn. Announced during Summer Game Fest 2025, the game marks a dramatic shift from their typical cRPG roots to a third-person action RPG. In an exclusive interview with Alexander Mishulin and Andrey Tsvetkov from Owlcat, we learned that the studio has been hard at work adapting to this new genre.
Notably, they’ve brought in experienced developers, including some ex-CD Projekt RED talent, to help shape the game’s direction.
“We knew from the start that The Expanse needed to be a third-person experience,” explained Alexander Mishulin. “This franchise is all about the people – the characters, the companions, the relationships. We wanted players to connect with these elements in a more immersive, grounded way. To do that, we had to switch perspectives and lean into a more cinematic and realistic feel.”
Owlcat didn’t take this leap lightly. Mishulin continued, “When we began pre-production, we had to rework many of our processes. It wasn’t an incredibly difficult transition, just a new process to suit this kind of game. We also expanded our team, bringing in experts who’ve worked on similar projects, particularly from CD Projekt RED. Their experience with third-person action games has been invaluable.”
One of the most intriguing aspects of the development process was the extensive prototyping for combat and exploration. “We made six different prototypes to get the combat basics right,” Mishulin shared. “We were experimenting with how the cover system would work, how enemies would behave, and how we could make every encounter feel fluid and engaging.”
While The Expanse: Osiris Reborn doesn’t yet have a release date, Owlcat’s commitment to creating a new and immersive sci-fi experience is clear. Fans of both the series and the studio’s previous titles can expect an exciting new direction when the game eventually lands. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to follow this ambitious project.
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