David Gaider joins Owlcat Games on the Expanse: Osiris Reborn

David Gaider said on Bluesky on November 6, 2026, that he is contributing to specific story elements of The Expanse: Osiris Reborn at Owlcat Games while keeping his position at Summerfall Studios, and he described the Owlcat team as responsive to fans.

His reputation rests on writing Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, and Dragon Age: Inquisition, and many call him the architect of Thedas. He started Summerfall Studios after departing BioWare, following early work on Anthem and a two-year stint at Beamdog, and the studio’s latest release is the roleplaying musical Stray Gods. His credits include Baldur’s Gate 1 and 2, Neverwinter Nights, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and he created Thedas with its history and factions such as the Grey Wardens, drawing on work in classic CRPGs and cinematic successors. “The Expanse has long been one of my favourite series, and so obviously I jumped at the opportunity to be involved,” Gaider said.

The Expanse: Osiris Reborn launches in Spring 2027 for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. In the single-player RPG, players guide a customizable Pinkwater mercenary who can serve as an Earther, Martian, or Belter captain, bringing two squadmates into missions and choosing from seven companions total. Players discover each companion’s backstory while their choices shape relationships, factions, missions, and the broader plot. The story runs alongside the core Expanse narrative from the first two books and early television seasons, with major events echoing through the player’s journey.

In January 2022, The Expanse TV series ended after six seasons, starting on Syfy in 2015 and continuing for three more seasons under Amazon after a three-season cancellation. Collider called Osiris Reborn the franchise’s next step after the TV series, following 2023’s The Expanse: A Telltale Series. The Expanse: Osiris Reborn resembles Mass Effect with a player-created commander guiding a crew through relationships and political conflict across a broad science-fiction world. IGN noted eight years since the last Mass Effect and thirteen since the last strong entry, and both this game and the upcoming Exodus feature BioWare veterans after BioWare closed and cancelled its promising Mass Effect game.

Owlcat built its name on detailed isometric CRPGs like Wrath of the Righteous and Rogue Trader, so The Expanse marks a change of direction for the studio. Yahoo Tech described it as a cinematic role-playing experience and third-person shooter in the style of Mass Effect, though it still includes skill checks and roleplaying, and IGN said the game draws from a later phase of BioWare and that Owlcat must move from isometric to cinematic design. Owlcat game design producer Yuliya Chernenko said at the announcement that the studio builds on BioWare’s legacy and broadens what players expect from the experience. “We are building on that legacy and expanding what players anticipate from this experience,” Chernenko said.

After beta player feedback, Owlcat recast the male lead and cast voice actor Blythe Melin as the new Martian Captain and as J. “Voicing both the Captain and J has been an incredible joy,” Melin said. Eurogamer said the studio was responsive to fans and pointed to the recast as an example. Yahoo Tech reported that Owlcat showed off the new voice alongside Gaider’s announcement.

IGN sampled close to an hour of gameplay at gamescom 2025 and called the combat cover-based shooting with abilities such as guided rocket grenades and zero-gravity sequences, with the writer noting mag-lock boots and rocket grenades with guidance thrusters during the demo. Fighting uses cover-based shooting plus abilities, destructible scenery, and three assault rifles with distinct properties, and the campaign should run about 30 hours. The siblings got away from the Eros Incident by taking a ship from Protogen, and the corporation later tracked them down to demand justice. Owlcat creative director Alexander Mishulin likened the studio’s Pathfinder games to Baldur’s Gate 2 while showing the demo.

GamingBolt said additional details on The Expanse: Osiris Reborn will come later, including specifics on the narrative aspects Gaider will handle. Eurogamer reviewer Bertie enjoyed playing the game but voiced concerns about Owlcat’s use of generative AI. IGN said it saw little evidence of that broader vision in the demo but expected it to appear later, with its writer calling the game a new Mass Effect that fills the gap left by BioWare’s recent disappointing releases and the far-off Mass Effect sequel.