Companions

Companions

In The Expanse: Osiris Reborncompanions are the core of the gameplay experience. Owlcat Games has described them as being "front and center" to the entire game. The player commands a crew of seven highly skilled specialists aboard the Geminieach with a distinct background, personality, personal questline, unique ability set, and an associated Exploit category. During missions, the player selects two companions to bring into the field. The remaining crew members are not idle; they lead secondary squads on parallel objectives, provide strategic analysis from the Gemini, hack into systems remotely, contact the player via radio with intelligence updates, or temporarily appear at designated locations to assist with story events and provide fire support.

Known Companions

The full companion roster was confirmed at the Xbox Partner Preview on March 26, 2026. All seven companions are available over the course of the game, recruited from various locations across the solar system. Each companion has a distinct personality, personal questline, unique ability set, and an associated Exploit category. Owlcat Games has hinted that additional crew members may be revealed later, noting that the seven shown are "not the whole story, nor your whole crew."

Companion Profiles

J (Executive Officer)

J is the player character's identical twin and closest ally. Because J's appearance and gender are based on the player's custom character, J acts as a narrative mirror throughout the story. Despite sharing the player's face, J has a personality entirely their own: impulsive, direct, and fiercely loyal. J joined Pinkwater Security alongside the player and was present during the massacre at Eros Station. In combat, J reads the battlefield instinctively and identifies structural weaknesses, making them a natural fit for the Precision Exploit category.

Teo (Doctor / Combat Medic)

Teo is a loud and boisterous combat medic who lost his medical license back on Earth. He jokes that he was "kicked out before he ever got to take the oath." Despite his professional disgrace, Teo is an aggressively effective field medic. He wears tough armor and uses experimental stimulants to enhance both his own combat performance and the survivability of his squadmates. His Malfunction Exploit category is a curious wrinkle; scrambling electrical systems is a stretch from experimental stimulants, but it reflects Teo's unconventional approach to problem-solving. His medical background makes him a critical asset for keeping the squad alive through extended firefights.

Regina (Liaison Officer / Sniper)

Regina is the team's sniper, scout, and expert infiltrator. Voiced by Nola Klop, she has a guarded personality that makes it tricky to piece together her true past and agenda. Regina sees the player as a valuable ally on her own mysterious quest, and her background as a liaison officer gives her connections across factional lines that influence dialogue and quest options. Her Precision Exploit category focuses on targeting specific enemy weak points and high-value targets from range. Press coverage has compared her to Miranda from Mass Effect 2 due to her enigmatic nature and layered motivations.

Aleesha (Electronic Warfare Specialist)

Aleesha abandoned corporate life to become a free agent, devoting herself to seeking out complicated problems and unsolvable enigmas to push her brain to its limits. Her snarky personality masks a principled rejection of mega-corporate power. In combat, Aleesha deploys drones and subverts enemy systems, hijacking hostile technology to turn it against its owners. Her Cyber-attack Exploit works similarly to Malfunction but instead of outright disabling electrical systems, it repurposes them against the enemy. Aleesha's expertise makes her particularly valuable in missions involving Protogen technology.

Polly (Shipgirl / Support)

Polly is a youthful, optimistic, and chatty Belter who yearns to prove herself and achieve something truly great. Born in space as a member of The Expanse's most systematically marginalized cultural group, Polly represents the Belt perspective and its political stakes within the crew. In combat, she is armored enough to take a hit and lays down mid-range covering fire with her submachine gun. Her Demolition Exploit provides explosive support to handle heavily fortified enemy positions. Polly's Belter heritage gives her a unique viewpoint on the faction conflicts that drive much of the game's narrative.

Michael (Gunner)

Michael is a fellow mercenary who initially works for a competing organization. A former UN military soldier who also served in private security, Michael grew disillusioned with institutional life and turned to mercenary work. Voiced by Will de Renzy-Martin, he is described as principled but troubled by the tragedies he has faced in the past. In combat, Michael charges the frontline carrying a shield and a shoulder-mounted autocannon, making him the crew's primary heavy weapons specialist. His Demolition Exploit destroys cover and terrain outright, forcing enemies into the open.

Zafar (Mechanic)

Zafar is an old friend who reunites with the player at Pinkwater 4 station. He is one of the first companions to join the crew. Voiced by Kerem Erdinc (who was featured in the original announcement trailer), Zafar is calm and collected, choosing his words carefully and proving to be surprisingly poetic when he does speak. In combat, Zafar deploys turrets and EMF devices that disable and disorient enemy equipment, applying methodical pressure on the battlefield. His Malfunction Exploit wrecks electrical systems, complementing his engineering expertise with machine degradation.

Combat Loadouts

Each companion has a distinct combat style defined by their weaponsarmor, and special abilities. The table below summarizes each companion's known loadout based on information revealed at the March 2026 Xbox Partner Preview and the exclusive.

Field Deployment

During missions, the player selects two companions to bring into the field. The remaining crew members are not idle. They lead secondary squads, provide ship-based analysis, hack into systems remotely, or contact the player via radio with intelligence updates. In some missions, non-active companions temporarily appear at specific locations to provide support or participate in story events.

Choosing the right pair of companions for a mission is a tactical decision. Some missions favor a balanced squad with one ranged specialist and one close-range fighter, while others might benefit from two drone-focused companions who can lock down a large area. The player can swap their active companions between missions but cannot change the lineup mid-mission.

Each companion's Exploit category also factors into squad composition. Bringing two Precision companions offers different environmental interaction options than pairing a Demolition specialist with a Cyber-attack expert. The Exploit system encourages players to experiment with different companion combinations to discover new ways to clear encounters.

The Exploit System

Each companion is associated with one of four Exploit categories: Precision, Malfunction, Cyber-attack, or Demolition. The Exploit System is a unique combat mechanic where companions can eliminate entire enemy groups at once by interacting with environmental elements. When the player identifies an Exploit opportunity during combat, they direct a companion to trigger it, and the result depends on the companion's category and the environmental setup.

See the Exploit System article for full mechanical details.

Companion Permadeath

One of the most significant companion mechanics is permadeath. Companions can die permanently based on the player's decisions throughout the game. This is not limited to a single climactic choice at the end. Decisions made hours earlier, including how well the player has maintained their relationships and how they handle story-critical moments, determine who lives and who dies.

Game design director Leonid Rastorguev has explicitly cited Mass Effect 2's suicide mission as the inspiration. In that game, the survival of each squadmate depended on a web of choices made across the entire playthrough: loyalty missions, ship upgrades, and squad assignments during the final mission. Osiris Reborn applies a similar philosophy where long-term investment in companions through dialogue, side quests, and mission choices directly affects their survival odds.

The developers have stated: "The Expanse universe is cruel and some characters might die because of your choices." When a companion dies, they are gone for the rest of the playthrough. Their gear, abilities, and unique dialogue are lost, and the story adjusts to reflect their absence. This gives weight to every major decision and creates meaningful consequences that persist through the rest of the game.

Romance

Romance options are confirmed for Osiris Reborn. Not every companion is romanceable, and the developers have stated they will not specify which ones are before launch. The developers explained the setting's natural suitability for romance: "It's a small crew on a small ship. Everyone flies in very tight spaces for a very long time. So there is dynamics in the crew." Romance develops organically through dialogue choices, time spent together during ship downtime, and personal quest progression.

Romance ties into the companion permadeath system. Losing a romanced companion carries additional emotional and narrative weight, and the game's writing accounts for this. There is no mechanical "relationship meter" displayed on screen. Instead, companion reactions are organic: they respond to the player's choices, challenge decisions they disagree with, and remember past conversations.

Companion Progression

Companions level up alongside the player. As they gain experience, the player can invest points in each companion's skill tree to unlock new abilities and passive upgrades. Equipment can also be changed, with companions able to use different weaponsarmor pieces, and tech devices. Companions are less versatile than the player character; they have narrower skill trees that specialize in their particular combat role.

The way a player builds their companions should complement their own character build. A player who focuses on gunplay might want to invest in companions with strong tech abilities. A commander build that buffs companions benefits from investing in each companion's damage output and durability.

Dynamic Crew Interactions

Companions are not passive tools. They argue with each other, challenge the player's choices, and have opinions about every major story development. Walking into the Gemini's common area after a contentious mission might reveal two companions in a heated disagreement. These dynamic reactions are not scripted cutscenes triggered at fixed points; they emerge from the combination of which companions are alive, what the player has done, and how the companions feel about each other.

During major plot events, companions offer opinions, hint toward decisions, and provide assistance. This can include crucial contacts who offer advice or military support depending on the companion's background and connections. Relationships evolve based on player investment, with opportunities to help companions through personal struggles or ignore them entirely.

Ship Interactions

Between missions, companions are available aboard the Gemini for conversations, side quests, and personal interactions. These moments are where much of the character development happens. Walking around the ship and checking in with each crew member after a major story event reveals new dialogue, personal reactions, and sometimes new quest hooks. The Gemini functions as a social hub in the same way the Normandy did in Mass Effect or the Ebon Hawk in Knights of the Old Republic. The quieter moments between missions are where the emotional stakes of the permadeath system are built.

Faction Reputation and Companions

Unlike Mass Effect's binary moral alignment systemchoices in Osiris Reborn revolve around reputation with three major factionsEarth, Mars, and the Belt. The player can champion one faction, betray it, act as a double agent, or navigate political intrigue through risky deals and alliances. Companions react to these factional decisions based on their own backgrounds and loyalties. Polly's Belter heritage, Michael's UN military past, and Regina's cross-factional connections all color how each companion perceives the player's political maneuvering.

TV Show Characters

Some characters from The Expanse television series appear in Osiris Reborn, voiced by their original actors. Game design director Leonid Rastorguev confirmed that these actors provided both voice work and digital scanning for their likenesses. James Holden appears in at least one broadcast message, though without original voice work from Steven Strait. Cara Gee, who voiced Camina Drummer in The Expanse: A Telltale Series, has been noted as a likely returning actor. The specific characters and the extent of their roles have not been fully disclosed ahead of launch.

Closed Beta

Companions are featured in the Closed Betawhich launched on April 22, 2026 for Xbox Series X|S, with PC and PlayStation 5 access to follow. The beta includes a full mission from the main game, allowing players to experience companion dialoguecombat abilities, and the Exploit system firsthand. Access requires purchasing the Miller's Pack or Collector's Edition from the official website.

Full Roster At A Glance

The full game ships with seven recruitable companions. Each one runs their own personal quest line, carries one default environmental exploit type, and fills a distinct combat niche on the ground squad. The seven named companions with wiki pages of their own are Aleesha, J, Michael, Polly, Regina, Teo, and Zafar. The developers have indicated that the seven named crew members are not necessarily the full story of who rides on the ship, so extra voices may turn up once the full release lands, but the seven represent the core recruitable squad every playthrough can plan around.

See The Gemini for a breakdown of the ship these companions live aboard between missions, and Pinkwater Security for the mercenary outfit the twins belong to at the start of the story.

Ground Squad And Support Squad

On most missions the player brings two companions onto the ground, leaving the other five aboard the ship or on parallel assignments. Two is the hard cap for ground deployment, and it is intended to stay that way across the full game rather than scale up later. That is why picking the correct pair for each mission matters so much; the missing five are not simply on standby.

On top of the two ground companions, certain squadmates contribute from the ship itself. Zafar is the clearest example seen in the closed beta; when the twins move into a zero-G pocket on the station exterior, Zafar lines up the Gemini's point-defense cannons to hammer enemies through sections of the station hull. Ship-based support reads as an environmental exploit stacked on top of the ground squad's two exploits, and the game's design supports more companions filling similar roles later in the story.

Ground companions can swap between missions but cannot be rotated mid-mission. Zafar-style ship support also has a cooldown tied to story pacing rather than a free-cast ability, so both layers of firepower reward preparation. The non-deployed crew are not inert either; between missions and during downtime, they run their own errands, flag intelligence, feed in over the radio, and occasionally turn up to assist at scripted moments, making the Gemini feel like a crewed ship rather than an empty hub.

Companion Quests And Romance

Every companion has a personal quest line in the full game that unfolds alongside the main story. These questlines give each crew member the equivalent of a loyalty arc: a chain of missions and conversations that reveal backstory, resolve a personal conflict, and deepen the companion's combat identity. Progressing them typically takes investment across several missions rather than a single side trip.

Some companions are romanceable. The developers have been deliberate about not publishing the full list ahead of launch, but they have confirmed that not every crew member is a romance option and that romance builds organically through dialogue, shared downtime on the Gemini, and personal-quest progress rather than through an on-screen approval meter. The studio has also confirmed that certain characters from the source material appear in the game in named roles, without disclosing which ones, so surprise cameos are possible during both the main story and the various companion quest lines.

Companion Loadouts

Every companion has a fixed slot budget that is narrower than the player's but still deeply customizable. The structure separates permanent signature gear from gear you can freely swap between missions.

The practical consequence is that upgrade priority follows the signature slots first. Once a companion's signature gadget and signature subsystem are fully modified, the rest of their kit can be tuned per mission without losing their core identity. See Weapons and Equipment for the full inventory grammar, and Combat and Gameplay for how gadgets behave in a firefight.

Companion Skill Trees

Each companion has three combat trees: Shooter, Gadget, and Survivalist. There is no Leader tree on companions because leadership is the player's domain. The tree names match the player's own trees, but the nodes inside are tailored to the companion. Points sunk into one character's trees never touch another character's, so a commander-style build still benefits from investing in a field companion's Shooter nodes if you plan to hand them an upgraded rifle.

An example of a companion-only node sits inside J's Gadget tree: spending a point there swaps J's default environmental exploit from Precision to Malfunction, a switch the player cannot perform on their own character. Similar signature nodes exist on every companion, so respeccing a squadmate can meaningfully change the crew's exploit coverage. Consult Character Creation and Progression for the overall skill-tree rules and XP pacing.

Companion Social Skills And Stacking

Every character, including each companion, has two social and exploration skills chosen from the shared pool of six: Persuasion, Athletics, Cyber Sabotage, Perception, Analysis, and Engineering. These skills stack at skill-check time: the score of the player plus the scores of the two accompanying companions are summed against the check's threshold.

That stacking rule turns squad composition into a real decision. A locked engineering panel that blocks a hidden route on one playthrough can be walked straight through on the next if the player swaps in a companion whose two social skills happen to cover the gap. Focus drugs offer a temporary plus one on top of the stacked score, but they are consumables, so the cleanest way to open up a mission's skill checks is to bring the right pair of companions in the first place.

• Persuasion. Unlocks extra dialogue branches. Helps extract gossip from station vendors and talk hostile NPCs down from violence.

• Athletics. Moves heavy obstacles blocking loot or routes. Speeds up general traversal and boosts melee.

• Cyber Sabotage. Opens locked consoles and doors via a number-alignment mini-game. Triggers a fifteen-second timer on the player's input.

• Perception. Holds a reticle-fill gaze on a target or spot to reveal hidden objects. Losing the target resets the fill.

• Analysis. A hacker-leaning read of environmental data, evidence, and forensic traces. Confirmed as one of the six but not shown in the closed-beta mission.

• Engineering. Opens broken doors, traces conduit lines, and accesses hidden routes. Also hardens nearby cover and extracts extra low-tier crafting materials from loot.

Environmental Exploits

Each companion has a default environmental exploit category, which is the kind of contextual interaction they can perform when the battlefield presents an opening. Four exploit types are confirmed at present.

Exploits are contextual. The combat space has to offer the right kind of trigger, so the same companion will not fire off an exploit every fight. This is the main reason players are encouraged to rotate their two-companion ground squad between missions: a party with two Precision users has different board-clearing options than a Cyber Attack plus Demolition pairing, and certain cover layouts favor one type strongly. See The Exploit System for the deep mechanical breakdown.

The Engage Command

Engage is the player's squad-order button. Pressing it targets the nearest enemy, or the enemy selected inside the tactical pause, and sends the closest ground companion in on a focused strike. When Engage fires, the companion's damage is increased for the duration of the action and their signature gadget triggers automatically. If the signature gadget is already on cooldown, the companion falls back to the second gadget the player equipped on them. There is a single Engage cooldown rather than one per companion at present, though this is being observed during beta feedback.

Engage scales hard with the Leader tree on the player. Stacking enough cooldown reduction there turns the command into a centerpiece of a rotation rather than an occasional burst, to the point that a Leader-focused player can keep a companion signature gadget firing on almost every engagement. See Combat and Gameplay for how Engage interacts with tactical pause, cover destruction, and the rest of the combat loop.

Dynamic Dialogue And Approval

Companions participate in conversations rather than standing silently behind the player. In the closed-beta mission J will walk up to an NPC repairing a fuse box and strike up their own dynamic chat, and at times J speaks first when the twins approach Pinkwater Four staff. Zafar plays the same role over the radio during the exterior spacewalk: skip the airlock he recommends and he voices his irritation on the comms, planting a long-term approval mark the player only notices later in the story.

There is no visible approval meter on the HUD. Approval is tracked quietly and surfaces through dialogue, new side objectives, and eventually through major story branches tied to personal-quest progress. Choices you make without thinking about your companions will still register with them. The more companions you bring, the more lines they interject during an encounter, and repeatedly overriding their suggestions on the ground tends to show up as cooler conversations and tougher skill checks in Choices and Consequences branch points later in the playthrough.

Beta Roster Focus

The closed beta deliberately narrows the companion roster. Only J is fully playable on the ground, and Zafar participates through the ship. The remaining five companions are neither met in person nor selectable in the beta's one-story-mission scope. This limitation is intentional: the studio wants focused feedback on two specific design pillars, the twin dynamic that anchors the opening of the full game and the ship-based support layer that Zafar introduces.

As a result, beta feedback on companions tends to concentrate on how J feels to command during a firefight, how often the Engage button wants to be pressed, how skill-check stacking reads when only one companion's scores can combine with the player's, and how intrusive or welcome Zafar's radio interjections are during the zero-G section. Impressions of the other five companions will not come from the beta at all. They are scheduled content for the full release in early 2027. Any concrete claims about their voice performance, loadouts, or personal quests should be treated as speculative until the full game ships.

Building A Squad

Because squad composition affects exploit coverage, skill stacking, and dialogue interjections all at once, most playthroughs end up rotating the two-companion ground squad frequently. A few rough guidelines the closed-beta systems point toward:

• Cover exploit coverage. Pair two different exploit types when you can. A Precision plus Demolition pairing can both shatter entrenched positions and punish exposed groups; a Malfunction plus Cyber Attack pairing answers any automated-heavy fight.

• Mind the social stack. Add up the two skills each companion brings and compare them to the skills you expect the mission to test. Engineering-heavy corridors reward companions with Engineering or Analysis; negotiation-heavy stations reward Persuasion and Perception.

• Protect signature gear upgrades. Because signature gadgets and signature subsystems cannot be swapped off a companion, the moment you know a companion is a long-term pick, upgrade their signatures first so the Engage-triggered signature gadget keeps pace with the rest of the crew.

• Let approval steer roleplay. Dynamic dialogue and quiet approval mean the choice to bring a companion on a mission counts as a vote of confidence that feeds into their personal quest line later. Leaving a companion aboard the ship forever is a choice too.

The full-game squad system is meant to be read as a set of seven complementary specialists. The beta can only sample two of them, but the systems that surround J and Zafar already carry the shape of the full game: two ground companions with one signature gadget each, four environmental exploit types to cover the battlefield, one shared Engage command, and a social-skill stack that rewards rotating the crew mission by mission.