Protogen

Overview

Protogen is the primary antagonist faction in The Expanse: Osiris Reborn. Described by the official game account as "a private company from Earth, not overly-famous, but extremely well-funded," Protogen can afford the best possible equipment for its security force. Crossing paths with them means trouble. In the game, the player fights Protogen mercenaries and operatives from the opening escape on Eros Station through to the campaign's later acts.

The developers have noted that the game features a different branch of Protogen than the one shown in the books and TV series. While the broader Expanse story follows characters who encounter Protogen's leadership and research divisions, the player in Osiris Reborn runs into the corporation's security and military operations from the perspective of a Pinkwater Security mercenary. This means the game can tell an original story within the established lore without contradicting the events fans already know.

Corporate Structure

In The Expanse universe, Protogen is a subsidiary of Mao-Kwikowski Mercantile, one of the largest and most powerful megacorporations in the solar system. Mao-Kwikowski is based on Luna and has business interests spanning the entire Sol system. Protogen operates as the conglomerate's black-ops division, responsible for classified research and development that the parent company keeps at arm's length for deniability.

Protogen's leadership included executive Vice President Antony Dresden, who headed the biological research division and personally orchestrated the Eros incident. Dresden ran operations from Thoth Station, a shadowy R&D facility where Protogen scientists studied the protomolecule and monitored the Eros experiment remotely. Thoth Station was eventually discovered and captured by an OPA assault force aided by the crew of the Rocinante, and Dresden was killed during the operation.

The Eros Experiment

Protogen's most significant operation was the controlled infection of Eros Station. The plan called for two ships to travel to Eros: the Osiris with its science teams, and the Anubis carrying live protomolecule samples. The Anubis never arrived intact after becoming infected, but the protomolecule reached Eros through Julie Mao, the sole survivor of the Anubis, who carried the infection to the station unknowingly.

To carry out the experiment, Protogen first withdrew its security contract on Eros and replaced it with Carne Por la Machina, a puppet organization Protogen created specifically to facilitate the infection. When the lockdown was triggered, the station's population was directed into contamination cells disguised as fallout shelters. The entire population of approximately 1.5 million people was infected within hours. Protogen scientists observed the results remotely from Thoth Station.

Military Assets

Protogen commanded significant military resources, most notably the Amun-Ra-class stealth frigates. A total of nine of these vessels were commissioned, each named after a deity from Egyptian mythology. The stealth frigates were among the most advanced warships in the solar system, capable of operating undetected by conventional sensors.

The game's title itself references the Osiris, one of Protogen's stealth frigates. While the original Osiris was destroyed during the assault on Thoth Station in the established lore, the name carries thematic weight: the player commandeers a Protogen vessel during their escape from Eros, creating a direct link between the player's ship and Protogen's military legacy.

Protogen in the Game

Throughout the campaign, Protogen serves as a persistent and dangerous adversary. Their forces attack Pinkwater Station early in the game, forcing the player to defend the station or negotiate a surrender. Their operatives appear across multiple locations in the solar system as the player uncovers the extent of the protomolecule conspiracy.

Protogen's resources are substantial. Their mercenaries are better equipped than most security forces the player encounters, and their operations are backed by the vast wealth of Mao-Kwikowski Mercantile. The game's official description warns that Protogen "can afford the best possible equipment for their security force," meaning encounters with their troops are among the most challenging combat scenarios in the game.

Protogen's research also extends to Project Caliban, the program to create protomolecule-human hybrid supersoldiers. The player encounters the results of this program during the campaign, representing some of the most dangerous enemies in the game.

Key Personnel (Lore)