Hundreds of millions of years before the plot of the X games, the Ancient races, who have transceded their physical form, built billions of jumpgates throughout the universe.
Their purpose, as well as their effect, is to limit the development of faster-than-light transportation, creating a reliance on these jumpgates as human and alien species explore the universe.
[1]: D28 Over the course of the 21st century, mankind experimented with wormhole technology and successfully built jumpgates in space between Earth and Mars paving the way for the colonization of the solar system and interstellar transport.
[1]: B20–B23 Around 730 NT, at the height of a war with the Xenon, a jumpship from Earth containing Kyle Brennan suddenly appeared in a remote corner of the X-Universe,[1]: B24 kicking off the events of X: Beyond the Frontier.
The X-Universe features several sentient species: The series, which was launched in 1999 on the Windows platform, consists of five base games: X: Beyond the Frontier, X2: The Threat, X3: Reunion, X Rebirth and X4: Foundations.