Telltale said it has partnered with development studio, Deck Nine, and Alcon Interactive Group to create The Expanse: A Telltale Series.
Based on the popular Amazon Prime sci-fi television series, the story-driven interactive game was revealed with trailer tonight during The Game Awards broadcast.
The Expanse: A Telltale Series is the first new intellectual property to be announced by Telltale since the company rebooted in 2019. The game is being co-developed with Deck Nine, the award-winning studio behind the critically acclaimed Life is Strange: True Colors. Telltale also previously announced it is in production on the sequel to The Wolf Among Us.
“One of our driving forces is to empower other creative voices to tell their stories in the manner of previous genre-defining Telltale games,” said Jamie Ottilie, CEO of Telltale, in a statement. “We are such fans of the work Deck Nine has done and were searching for an IP we could create stories in together. The Expanse is a rich world both studios are really excited to explore.”
Set hundreds of years in the future, The Expanse TV show is based on a series of novels by James S.A. Corey, the pen name of authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, who also serve as writers and producers for the show.
Humanity has colonized the solar system, with tensions rising between the three primary factions of power. The series follows a group of protagonists representing the “Earthers,” “Martians,” and “Belters,” as they uncover and become involved in a conspiracy that threatens the fragile balance. Kicking off its sixth and final season on Amazon Prime this week, The Expanse has received critical praise for its visuals, character development and political narrative.
The Expanse: A Telltale Series is set prior to the events of the TV series. Players take on the role of Camina Drummer (played by actress Cara Gee in both the game and TV series), the leader of a ragtag scavenging crew on the hunt for a mysterious treasure on the edges of The Belt. As Drummer, players must work with a mix of big personalities, square off against a bloody mutiny, explore locations beyond the belt, and, most of all, make tough decisions that will decide the fate of The Artemis spaceship and its crew.
“Working with a fantastic IP like The Expanse is both daunting and thrilling,” said Jeff Litchford, chief operating officer for Deck Nine, in a statement. “We wanted to pick a character and story that hadn’t already been told — one that players could really influence but that also stayed true to the books and series for the fans. The collaboration with Telltale has enabled us to bounce around ideas and approach things from the different perspectives each company brings to the adventure genre as we work to tell the best story possible.”
“The Expanse is a deep world full of political nuance and complex characters that evolve yet are flawed; it’s been such a joy to be able to delve into the individual side stories throughout the books and six seasons of the show,” said George Collins, president of Alcon Interactive Group, in a statement. “Collaborating with two of the most prominent studios known for their work in narrative games is exciting, and we are confident The Expanse is in good hands. There is so much left to explore in new ways and we plan to do so as long as the fans keep showing up.”
The Expanse: A Telltale Series is currently in the early stages of production and is expected to be released for PC and leading consoles.