A timeline of events that constitute the background to X4 including events from previous X games
| NT | EY | X-Game | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| -128 | 2042 | Earth scientists create Jump Gates (2 billion years after 'The Ancients' created the main Jump Gate network). | |
| -127 | 2043 | USC established. | |
| -124 | 2046 | The flight of the Winterblossom to explore the Jump Gate network begins lead by René Farnham. | |
| -122 | 2048 | The Winterblossom is recalled. | |
| -104 | 2066 | Terraformer Project begins. | |
| -71 | 2099 | Terraformer Project is terminated. | |
| -25 | 2145 | The First Terraformer Conflict. | |
| -23 | 2147 | The Earth Jump Gate is destroyed to protect Earth (By X4 its remains orbit Mars). | |
| -23 | 2147 | The First Terraformer Conflict ends. | |
| 0 | 2170 | Earth is removed from the history of the Terraformer Conflict's survivors. | |
| 103 | 2273 | Terraformer Conflict survivors relocate to the 4th planet in the Sonra System, named Argon Prime after Nathan R. Gunne. | |
| 103 | 2273 | The Argon Federation is established. | |
| 130 | 2300 | Argon make first contact with the Paranid. | |
| 202 | 2372 | Goner Sect is formed on the belief that Earth still exists. | |
| 215 | 2385 | Xenon destroy the superstation "Antigone", The sector Antigone Memorial and The Antigone Republic is named in its honour. | |
| 241 | 2491 | The Argon Federation begins expanding throughout the Jump Gate network. | |
| 323 | 2493 | Argon make first contact with the Boron. | |
| 324 | 2494 | The Boron Campaign: Split Patriarchy invade Boron space. Argon Federation aligns with Boron, Paranid align with Split. | |
| 328 | 2498 | Community of Planets is formed. | |
| 550 | 2720 | First contact with the Teladi. | |
| 589 | 2759 | Credits become the currency of the X universe. | |
| ~608 | ~2778 | The Hatikvah Free League is established. | |
| 725 | 2895 | The Yaki Syndicate forms | |
| 735 | 2905 | Xenon ship enters Sol using a "Gateless Jumpdrive". Terran engineers begin reverse-engineering the drive for the USC X. | |
| 742 | 2912 | X:Btf / X:T | Arrival of Earth Fleet test pilot Kyle Brennan and the USC X (Xperimental Shuttle) in the Jump Gate network after a Jump Drive test. |
| 742 | 2912 | X:Btf / X:T | Arrival of Elena Kho and USC Getsu Fune in the Jump Gate network in search of Kyle Brennan and the USC X. |
| 742 | 2912 | The Jump Gate network is reconfigured. Notably, the Teladi homeworld Ianamus Zura is reconnected to the network. | |
| 742 | 2912 | Rhonkar deposes Chin to become Patriarch of All Split. Family Chin's territories are annexed by the emergent Family Rhonkar. Rhonkar leads the Split Families for 40 years until the Jump Gate Shutdown. | |
| 743 | 2913 | Black Hole Sun is destroyed by a Xenon super-weapon. The resulting emission is believed to be responsible for destroying the Kha'ak Homeworld. | |
| 743 | 2913 | Terracorp is established by Kyle Brennan and Elena Kho to finance 'Jumpdrive' research to return to earth. | |
| 763 | 2933 | First contact with the Kha'ak. | |
| 763 | 2933 | X2 | The President's End massacre. |
| 763 | 2933 | X2 | The Battle of Omicron Lyrae. |
| 764 | 2934 | X3:R | The race to find Earth between the Yaki Syndicate and the Paranid Empire. |
| 764 | 2934 | X3:R | The Paranid Empire constructs a Jump Gate to reconnect Earth to the Jump Gate network. The Earth Government is invited to join the Argon Federation, Earth declines. |
| 764 | 2934 | The Earth Jump Gate is relocated to the Asteroid Belt to protect Earth. | |
| 764 | 2934 | X3:TC | Relations with the Terrans begin to cool. |
| 764 | 2934 | X3:TC | Operation Final Fury: The Argon Navy wipes out all known Kha'ak hives. Attacks become far more infrequent. |
| 764 | 2934 | X3:TC | The Xenon Hub is discovered by Bala Gi and Julian Brennan. |
| 764 | 2934 | X3:TC | The Terran lost colony of Aldrin is rediscovered with Terraformers and Humans living in harmony. Aldrin's Gates are re-opened leading to colonies including Megnir and Segaris that had been razed during the First Terraformer Conflict. |
| 770 | 2940 | Tensions Build over AGI usage between the Terrans and the Community of Planets. | |
| ~770 | ~2940 | Family Ryk is cut-off from the Jump Gate network leaving Family Zyarth bordering the Xenon. The latter's predicament allowed Family Zyarth to become self-sustaining and depose Rhonkar following the Jump Gate Realignment. | |
| ~770 | ~2940 | Plutarch Mining Corporation relocates from the Ore Belt to the recently discovered Albion System. Co-operation with Jonferco (JSS) facilitates the deployment of Trans-Orbital Accelerators in Albion based on Terran designs. JSS begins developing Highway Technology to supplant the Accelerators. | |
| 774 | 2944 | X3:AP* | Terran Conflict: War begins between the Terrans and their Argon cousins over the latter's continued usage of AGI. The Community of Planets later joins in support of the Argon Federation. |
| 778 | 2948 | X3:AP* | The destruction of the Torus Aeternal occurs escalating the Terran Conflict. The vast majority of its remains are recycled during the Jump Gate Shutdown. |
| 778 | 2948 | X3:AP | Highways near completion in Albion based on Terran Trans-Orbital Accelerator technology reverse engineered by Jonferco (JSS). |
| 780 | 2950 | X3:FL | Warp Instability occurs with increasing numbers of systems like Albion becoming inaccessible. Jump drives become far less reliable with ships disappearing from known space. Governments seeking to preserve the resilience of their systems deploy Trans-Orbital Accelerators. |
| 782 | 2952 | The Jump Gate Shutdown | |
~782 | ~2952 | USC and ATF are reformed into the Terran Protectorate. | |
| 782 | 2952 | X:R* | Plutarch Mining Corporation (PMC) takes control of the Albion system. The remains of the Argon Government and Argon Navy form the Heart of Albion. |
| 801 | 2971 | The Alliance of the Word is established. | |
| 803 | 2973 | X:R | The Jump Gates reopen and realign connecting unstable pockets of the former Jump Gate network in an unpredictable manner. |
| 803 | 2973 | X:R | A treaty is signed between the Argon Government, Heart of Albion and The Republic of Canterra, bringing a formal end to the Terran Conflict. |
| 803 | 2973 | X:R | Attacks on Xenon Installations in Maelstrom by the combined force of the Heart of Albion, Family Ryak and the Argon Government prove a failure with Xenon learning the location of De'vries and Albion. |
| 820 | 2990 | The Gate network Stabilises | |
| 825 | 2995 | X4:F (SV) | The remains of the Free Families Fleet is destroyed by the Zyarth Patriarchy in Fires of Defeat/Victory. |
| 825 | 2995 | X4:F | Boso Ta escapes Split capture and steals a Terran Science Station. |
| 825 | 2995 | X4:F | The Hatikvah Free League breaks away from illicit dealings with the Scale Plate Pact with Argon Federation support. |
Legend
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| NT | New Time (years since removing Earth from Argon history) |
| EY | Earth Years /AD/CE |
| * | Prologue |
| ** | Epilogue / Immediately after story events of game |
| X:Btf | X: Beyond the Frontier (1999) |
| X:T | X: Tension (2000) |
| X2 | X2: The Threat (2004) |
| X3:R | X3: Reunion (2005) |
| X3:TC | X3: Terran Conflict (2008) |
| X3:AP | X3: Albion Prelude (2011) |
| X3:FL | X3: Farnham's Legacy (2021) |
| X:R | X: Rebirth (2013) |
| (TTO) | X: Rebirth The Teladi Outpost DLC (2014) |
| (HoL) | X: Rebirth Home of Light DLC (2016) |
| X4:F | X4: Foundations (2018) |
| (SV) | X4: Foundations Split Vendetta DLC (2020) |
| (CoH) | X4: Foundations Cradle of Humanity DLC (2021) |