David Gaider, who led the story of Dragon Age: Origins, is now helping Owlcat Games with The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, a third-person sci-fi action RPG that players already compare with Mass Effect. Gaider says he is working on “certain aspects of the game’s narrative”, and the game is listed on Steam.
The news comes from Gaider himself, in a Bluesky post that GamesRadar picked up. He has not said how big his role is, and the sources we checked do not include a full writing credit list.
Who is David Gaider and what is he doing on the game?
Gaider is one of BioWare’s best known writers. According to GamesRadar, he started on Baldur’s Gate 2, wrote some of the most memorable characters in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and then led the narrative of Dragon Age: Origins. He never worked on Mass Effect.
He now works at Summerfall, and says the Owlcat job runs alongside it. His own words on the project: “The Expanse has long been one of my favourite series, and so obviously I jumped at the opportunity to be involved.”
What is The Expanse: Osiris Reborn?
It is a story-driven action RPG set in the universe of The Expanse, built by Owlcat Games, which is also the publisher. The key facts from the Steam page and launch coverage:
- Platforms: PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, according to Video Games Chronicle
- Perspective: third person, with cover-based gunfights
- Hero: a Pinkwater Security mercenary whose shore leave on the asteroid Eros turns into a lockdown and a conspiracy across the solar system
- Customisation: you create your own captain, who can be an Earther, a Martian or a Belter
Owlcat is best known for Pathfinder: Kingmaker, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous and Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader. Video Games Chronicle also notes that the studio is working on Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy.
Why do people compare it with Mass Effect?
GamesRadar points out that Osiris Reborn is a sci-fi RPG that plays like a third-person shooter and has you build relationships with a cast of companions, which is the Mass Effect recipe. PC Gamer used the same comparison when the game was first revealed.
The link got stronger last month. After reports that BioWare is closing and the next Mass Effect game is cancelled, the Osiris Reborn account shared a fan petition and said “The #SaveMassEffect movement has our full support”, GamesRadar reported.
What did the beta show?
A closed beta opened earlier this year for people who bought the Miller’s Pack or the Collector’s Edition. GamesRadar’s hands-on called it a cover shooter at heart, with long dialogue choices, crafting, an Active Pause option to plan fights, and a choice between a soldier build and a hacker build.
The same reviewer felt combat could be weightless at times and said he was not fully sold on the writing or the performances yet. The Steam news post calls the beta “janky but promising” and adds that Owlcat has been quick to answer feedback.
Whether Gaider’s work reaches any of those scenes is not stated. Neither Gaider nor the sources say which characters or chapters he is handling.
Prices
No price is listed on the Steam page we checked, and the sources give no price for any edition in any currency. Pre-order or edition details, including what the Miller’s Pack and the Collector’s Edition cost, should be read on the store page for your country.
Who it suits
Mass Effect fans. The structure matches what they miss: companions, dialogue choices and shooter combat, now with a veteran BioWare writer attached.
Fans of the TV series. The game is built on The Expanse universe and sets you on Eros, with a captain you can shape as an Earther, Martian or Belter.
Owlcat followers. Players who liked Rogue Trader will recognise the studio’s habit of heavy choice and consequence, though this game moves to a shooter view.
Who should wait. If the beta impressions about weak combat feel or writing worry you, wait for reviews. Gaider’s role is described as collaboration on certain narrative aspects, not as lead writer.
What is still unknown
The exact release date, final price and editions, and the size of Gaider’s contribution are all unconfirmed. Owlcat has not described his work in detail in the sources we read.
For now, wishlist the game on Steam and read the official store page for dates and prices in your country.
