Revision 1

Locations

The Expanse: Osiris Reborn takes players across the solar system, from the asteroid belt to the moons of Jupiter to the surfaces of Earth's Moon and Mars. Each location is drawn from the setting established in The Expanse books and TV show, and the developers have focused on making each one feel distinct in terms of atmosphere, population, gravity conditions, and available activities.

Eros Station

Eros is where the player's story begins. A spinning asteroid station in the Belt, Eros has a reputation as a seedy, overcrowded hub where anything can be bought for the right price. The station's corridors are cramped, poorly maintained, and packed with Belters living in conditions that range from uncomfortable to squalid.

Fans of The Expanse will recognize Eros as the site of the protomolecule incident, one of the most significant events in the series' timeline. The game begins during this event, with the player's Pinkwater Security team caught in the chaos as the situation on Eros rapidly deteriorates. Escaping Eros is the catalyst that sends the player on their journey aboard the Gemini.

Before the incident, Eros functions as an early social hub where players can interact with NPCs, visit bars and shops, and get a feel for Belt culture. The station's rotation provides simulated gravity, though it is noticeably lower than Earth standard, and the Coriolis effect is present in gameplay.

Ceres Station

Ceres is the largest station in the Belt and serves as the game's primary social hub. Carved out of the dwarf planet Ceres, the station is a vast, multi-layered city that houses millions of Belters. It is the de facto capital of the Belt and the political center of the OPA (Outer Planets Alliance).

As a hub, Ceres offers the widest range of social interactions, shops, side quests, and NPC encounters in the game. Bars like the ones depicted in the show are present, along with marketplaces, docking bays, and residential tunnels. The station's gravity is generated by its spin, and players will notice differences in how movement feels compared to smaller stations.

Ceres is also politically charged. The tension between OPA activists, Star Helix security forces, and inner-planet interests is palpable in NPC dialogue and environmental storytelling. The player's origin influences how the inhabitants of Ceres react to them, with Belters receiving a warmer welcome than Earthers or Martians.

Ganymede

Ganymede, Jupiter's largest moon, is known in The Expanse as the breadbasket of the outer planets. Its surface is covered in domed agricultural complexes that use mirrors to direct sunlight onto crops. These gardens are a lifeline for the Belt, producing much of the food that sustains the outer-planet population.

In the game, Ganymede is a location with a mix of above-ground dome environments and underground facilities. The domed gardens provide a striking visual contrast to the rest of the game's industrial, metallic environments: green plants, artificial sunlight, and open spaces. Beneath the surface, the station's infrastructure is more typical of Belt construction, with narrow corridors and utilitarian design.

Ganymede plays an important role in the game's story, as it is connected to events surrounding Project Caliban, the Protogen program to weaponize the protomolecule. Players who have read Caliban's War or watched the corresponding TV episodes will recognize the significance.

Mars

Mars is the homeworld of the Martian Congressional Republic (MCRN) and the second most powerful political entity in the solar system. The planet is in the middle of a centuries-long terraforming project, and Martian society is organized around that generational goal. Discipline, purpose, and military strength define the culture.

Players who chose the Martian origin will feel a sense of homecoming when visiting Mars, while Earthers and Belters will encounter varying degrees of suspicion. Mars is heavily militarized, and the MCRN maintains a visible presence throughout the areas the player can visit.

The surface of Mars features a mix of sealed dome habitats, underground complexes, and exterior shots of the Martian landscape with its thin atmosphere and reddish terrain. The contrast between Mars's ambitious vision of a green, terraformed future and the current reality of a barren, hostile world is a recurring theme in the environmental design.

Luna and Lovell City

Earth's Moon (Luna) is home to Lovell City, which serves as the effective capital of the United Nations in The Expanse universe. Lovell City is a sprawling underground metropolis built into the lunar surface, with artificial skies projected onto the ceiling of its vast caverns to simulate daylight.

The city is described as a maze of tunnels, corridors, and open chambers. Unlike the cramped stations of the Belt, Lovell City has the resources and infrastructure of an inner-planet power behind it. The architecture is more polished and deliberate, with wide promenades, government buildings, and residential quarters that reflect Earth's wealth and political influence.

For gameplay purposes, Luna serves as the primary hub for interacting with UN-aligned characters and questlines. The artificial skies and underground layout give Lovell City a distinct visual identity that sets it apart from every other location in the game.

Io

Io, one of Jupiter's innermost moons, is a volcanically active world with a surface that is extremely hostile to human life. In The Expanse lore, Io hosts secret research facilities that are connected to the protomolecule conspiracy. The moon's remoteness and dangerous conditions make it an ideal hiding place for operations that powerful interests want to keep secret.

In the game, Io likely represents a late-game location tied to the main story's climax. The volcanic surface, radiation hazards, and isolated research stations create an atmosphere of danger and tension that differs from the political intrigue of Ceres or the military precision of Mars.

Social Hubs

Several locations function as social hubs where the player can take a break from combat, interact with NPCs, shop for equipment, and advance side quests. These hubs typically include bars (a staple of The Expanse setting), vendor shops for weapons and equipment, NPC contacts who offer missions, and ambient characters who provide world-building dialogue.