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). | |
| -124 | 2046 | An Earth-built Jump Gate connects to a Jump Gate already in Alpha Centauri (Brennan's Triumph) revealing 'The Ancients' Jump Gate network | |
| -124 | 2046 | The flight of the Winterblossom to explore the Jump Gate Network lead by René Farnham | |
| -122 | 2048 | The Winterblossom is recalled | |
| -118 | 2052 | USC established | |
| -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 and it's 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 | Split Patriarchy invade Boron space. Argon Federation aligns with Boron, Paranid align with Split | |
| 328 | 2498 | Community of Planets is formed | |
| 514 | 2684 | 200 Years of Cold War | |
| 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 | |
| 735 | 2905 | Xenon ship enters Sol using a Gateless Jumpdrive | |
| 742 | 2912 | Evolution of the Xenon | |
| 742 | 2912 | X:Btf / X:T | Arrival of Kyle Brennan and USC X (Xperimental Shuttle) in the Jump Gate network after a Jump Drive test |
| 742 | 2912 | Arrival of Elena Kho and Getsu Fune in the Jump Gate network in search of Kyle Brennan and the USC X | |
| 742 | 2912 | The Jump Gate network is reconfigured with the Teladi home-world (Ianamus Zura) cut-off | |
| 743 | 2913 | Terracorp is established by Kyle Brennan and Elena Kho to finance 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 |
| 764 | 2934 | X3:R | The Paranid Empire constructs a Jump Gate to reconnect Earth to the Jump Gate Network |
| 764 | 2934 | The Earth Jump Gate is relocated to the Asteroid Belt | |
| 764 | 2934 | X3:TC | Relations with the Terrans begin to cool |
| 764 | 2934 | X3:TC | Operation: Final Fury |
| 764 | 2934 | X3:TC | The Xenon Hub is discovered |
| 770 | 2940 | Tensions Build over AGI usage | |
| 774 | 2944 | X3:AP* | The Terran Conflict begins between the Terrans and their Argon cousins, The Community of Planets later joins in support of the Argon Federation |
| 778 | 2948 | X3:AP* | The Destruction of the Torus Aeternal |
| 778 | 2948 | X3:AP | Highways near completion in Albion based on Terran Trans-Orbital Accelerator technology reverse engineered by Jonferco (JSS) |
| 780 | 2950 | Warp Instability | |
| 782 | 2952 | X3:AP** | Beryll Astrotech unleashes a new AGI threat on Sol from reverse engineered Xenon fighters |
| 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 |
| 801 | 2971 | The Alliance of the Word is established | |
| 803 | 2973 | X:R | The Gates Reopen |
| 803 | 2973 | X:R | A treaty is signed between the remnants of the Argon Government, Heart of Albion and The Republic of Canterra, bringing an end to the Terran Conflict |
| 820 | 2990 | The Gate Network Stabilises | |
| 820 | 2990 | Paranid Civil war begins between the Godrealm of the Paranid and the Holy Order of the Pontifex after each faction establishes their own Pontifex during The Jump Gate Shutdown | |
| 825 | 2995 | X4:F | Boso Ta escapes Split capture and steals a Terran Science Station |
| 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 | 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) |