Greetings Commanders,

Last week we celebrated the sixth anniversary of Elite Dangerous with a bumper stream full of news, races, screenshots and Twitch Drops! First of all we'd like to say a big thank you to everyone who joined us on stream and watched along, we definitely couldn't have done it without your support!

You can catch up on each part of the stream here:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3


2020 has been a unique year in more ways than one, but even throughout trying times, the incredible Elite Dangerous community have provided plenty of highlights for us to choose from (too many for us to talk about in the show)! From Hutton Truckers' Operation HOTMess and a virtual Lavecon, to various amazing charity streams from Commanders like CrispyTaytortot, it's been a truly memorable year. If you haven't already, head over to our stream and watch our recap of 2020 for a short overview of some of the main events of this year.

We'd also like to say a massive thank you to the brilliant development team, who are working tirelessly to make Odyssey the best experience possible. The team have also been working hard to implement important game balancing changes to improve Elite Dangerous for everyone. Looking further back on the year, it's easy to see the hard work they've put in: The beginning of 2020 saw the Fleet Carriers Beta and release, with many Commanders taking the opportunity to have a home away from home. Along with the Odyssey announcement, Elite Dangerous also welcomed an influx of new Commanders from the Epic Games Store, as well as the Horizons expansion becoming accessible to all!

September saw the return of GalNet and Community Goals, which wouldn't be possible without the development team dedicating time and resources on a regular basis, and since then we've been hard at work producing dev diaries for Odyssey, so Commanders can get a glimpse into the future of Elite Dangerous.

Finally, we want to say a special thanks to you, Commander. It's been a difficult year for everyone, and the entire team at Frontier appreciate the support and patience you've shown during our transition to safely working from home. We look forward to a brighter 2021, where things can hopefully return to normal and enjoy the future of Elite together!

Now to talk about last week's stream!



The Community Team were lucky enough to take part in some fantastic races last week, first of which was the Buckyball Race around Napier Installation!
This was helmed by CMDR Alec Turner from the Buckyball Racing Club & CMDR BlackMaze from EliteRacers (Join their Discord server here), so a special thank you to them. If you'd like to give this type of racing a try, there's plenty of videos online to get you started, and you can check out the race from CMDR Blackmaze's POV here:



Who knew canyon racing Type-9's could be so much fun? CMDR Ascorbius certainly did. We'd like to say another big thank you to him for organising a spot of Cow Racing during last week's stream, and if you'd like to see more Type-9 racing, check out this video from The Buur Pit:





After a brief and unexpected news report from the O7 News Team, we shared the next part of our Road to Odyssey series, this time focusing on ground combat.



Within this part, we really wanted to highlight how getting out of your ship forces you to change your mindset and approach to the game. There'll be plenty of environments to fight in, both indoors and outdoors, and making use of SRV's and ships will certainly be important in tactical combat. We also heard from the fantastic audio team on how they are bringing the weapons of Odyssey to life, and helps to support you with vital information during combat.

There will be a variety of weapon types in Odyssey, and each one has been designed to feel different, not only in their impact, but how they affect you when you wield them.

After the Dev Diary, Community Manager Arthur sat down with Lead Designer Gareth Hughes to answer some of the most-asked questions regarding Odyssey. In case you missed it, we also posted some answers to frequently asked questions on the forum early last week. That's not all though! The Dev team are going to be answering even more questions - so we'll have another forum post for you soon.



The anniversary stream also saw 10 of the finest screenshots of the year inducted into the SPVFA Hall of Fame! We'd like to thank CMDR's OrangePheonix & Exorcist for joining us on the show to discuss their selections, as well as the fine art of photography in Elite Dangerous - and a big thank you to the rest of the SPVFA judging panel!

Congratulations to all the Commanders featured in the Hall of Fame, and thank you to everyone who entered an image into #StellarScreenshots this year! Here are the stunning top 3 images from last week's show:





You'll be able to check out the full top 10 on our Instagram!

Once again, thank you all for a great year, and we can't wait to share more about Elite Dangerous: Odyssey in 2021.

Greetings Commanders,

The first developer diary gave us a look at exploration and the second gave us a look at missions, spacesuits and station interiors. In Dev Diary 3 we're charging into the fray with the Sphere of Combat in Elite Dangerous: Odyssey.



We'll be sharing a break down of the developer diary tomorrow on our forums. Share your burning questions on combat in the comments!

Stay tuned for future episodes and updates on Elite Dangerous: Odyssey on our social channels.

o7

Greetings Commanders!


This Thursday 17 December at 12:00 UTC, we're celebrating the end of the year and Elite Dangerous' 6th anniversary with a very special extended livestream. To make sure the team are ready, there won't be a Supercruise News episode today but here's what you can expect on Thursday:


Twitch Drops
The hugely popular Twitch Drops are making a return for the stream! Here are the prizes which will be available:


Watch the stream for 30 minutes to get the Festive Sidewinder and Purple Paint Job.


Watch the stream for 60 minutes to get the Festive Cobra MK III, Alliance Chieftain, and the Purple SRV and Fighter Paint Jobs.


Watch the stream for 90 minutes to get the Festive Asp Explorer and Festive Krait MK II Paint Jobs, and the Purple Engine and Weapon Colours.

To Receive Your Drops:

1. Link your Twitch account to your Frontier account here: https://twitch.frontierstore.net/.
   
   • Make sure you link the account you wish the Twitch Drops to apply to (console OR PC account).
2. Watch the stream on Twitch for 30, 60 or 90 minutes for each tier.
   
3. Once you receive a drop:
   
   • Click on your Twitch profile
     
   • Scroll down to the 'Drops' option
     
   • Claim the drop
4. The rewards will now be available the next time you play Elite Dangerous using the account you linked.

Elite Dangerous Odyssey: Combat
We'll also be joined by special guest Garath Hughes from the development team, who will discuss combat in Elite Dangerous: Odyssey. If you have any questions regarding combat in Elite Dangerous: Odyssey, please leave them below for a chance to have them answered on stream.

Please keep your questions as short and concise as possible. We will not be bringing suggestions to the Q&A. Only questions about combat in Elite Dangerous: Odyssey will be used.


...and more!
That's only SOME of what's to come during the stream, so make sure to join us for our final look back at the year!



o7

Greetings Commanders,

If you haven't seen the Elite Dangerous: Odyssey Gameplay reveal trailer then go check it out here! If you have and want to know more about the heads-up display, we have you covered.

Below we have broken down the different HUD elements that will appear in Elite Dangerous: Odyssey, along with a couple of questions and answers for you!



1) Character Information - Displays other characters':

• Name
  
• Health and Shields
  
• Rank, Criminality
  
• Authority Level at the current Settlement
  
• Relationship to the player (allied or enemy)"

2. Weapon Reticule - This is used for aiming when the player is not aiming down a weapon/tool's sight.

3. Ammunition- Shows the remaining ammunition in the magazine and the ammunition reserves for the equipped weapon.

4. Grenade - Shows the currently equipped grenade type and the remaining number of grenades.



5. Radar - This shows:

• Character position
  
• The direction and state of characters (hostile, neutral etc)
  
• Indicates the position of specific interactions (eg. terminals)

6. Environment Info - Shows the environment temperature and gravity.

7. Compass - Shows player direction and highlights the direction of key in-world elements (eg. Mission Objectives)

8. Player Coordinates - The precise location of the player on the planet's surface.



9. Health - Shows the player's current health.

10. Authority Level - The level of access to settlement facilities that the player currently has.

11. Active Player Bounty - This shows that the player has an active bounty on them in their current location.



12. Suit Power - Shows current capacity and level of suit power charge. This also has icons that show the suit functions which are causing power drain.

13. Emergency Air - Shows current capacity and level of emergency air supply.

14. Shields - Shows current shield power and status (active, turned off, or recharging)



When will Odyssey Release?
Elite Dangerous: Odyssey will release in Early 2021.

What platforms will Odyssey be available on at launch?
PC, PS4, and Xbox One

I’m a lifetime expansion pass holder – will I receive Odyssey free of any additional charge?
Yes.

When will the Alpha run for Odyssey?
We’ll be announcing more details on this in due course so keep an eye on our channels for further announcements.

Can I play Odyssey in VR?
Odyssey will be compatible with VR and you’ll be able to enjoy the same fully-featured cockpit experience players have enjoyed in Elite Dangerous so far. When leaving the cockpit of your ship or SRV, VR players will see a projected screen on which they can continue their journey without removing their helmets. They may also remove their helmet if they choose. VR is only compatible with Elite Dangerous on PC.

What does the exclusive Pioneer suit skin in the Deluxe Alpha Expansion Pack look like?
We don’t have any imagery to share of this skin just yet but we’ll be sharing this very soon.

How many tracks/How long is the Odyssey soundtrack?
Full details of the soundtrack are yet to be announced, keep an eye on our channels for further announcements.


Want to get your hands on Elite Dangerous: Odyssey as soon as it's available? Pre-order now on PC here

Greetings Commanders,


Take a look at our new Elite Dangerous: Odyssey Gameplay trailer that premiered at The Game Awards here!

Elite Dangerous: Odyssey is available to pre-order NOW on PC!

Elite Dangerous Odyssey
£29.99/$39.99/34.99EUR
Will include:

• The Odyssey Expansion
  
• Exclusive 'Pioneer' suit skin

Elite Dangerous: Odyssey – Deluxe Alpha Expansion Pack option
£39.99/$54.99/46.99EUR
Will include:

• The Odyssey Expansion
  
• Official Digital soundtrack
  
• Exclusive 'Pioneer' suit skin
  
• Alpha access - more details to follow in the new year

Pre-order for PC here!


o7 Commanders

Greetings Commanders!

Elite Dangerous has taken giant leaps over the past five years, with the Horizons and Beyond expansions changing the game forever. Throughout that time, an untold number of pilots have earned their licenses and gone on to achieve greatness among the stars. Take a look back on the journey so far with our new video and tune into the Game Awards this Thursday 10 December to see our next steps in an exclusive Elite Dangerous: Odyssey gameplay trailer!



Thank you for joining us on this journey. Without you, Elite Dangerous wouldn't be the same.

Greetings Commanders!

The Steam Awards are almost upon us and we'd like your help in making Elite Dangerous a nominee in the Labor of Love category! Since 2014 we've seen Commanders explore the deepest depths of our 1:1 simulation of the Milky Way, finding new worlds, new discoveries and even a few dangers along the way. Over these last six years, we have, and continue to strive to enhance the experience of our players. Updates such as Horizons that added planetary landings, new ships, mysteries and of course the Thargoids. To our most recent update allowing Commanders to become owners of gigantic Fleet Carries and the opportunities they present. We continue to refine the game to this day with patches and balancing passes based on community feedback.

Elite Dangerous is not only a labor of love for us here at Frontier, we have seen thousands of Commanders pour their heart and soul into the game, making the Elite Dangerous community the powerhouse it is today. Most importantly we are not done yet. With Elite Dangerous: Odyssey just around the corner we are excited to bring even more excitement, mystery and enjoyment to all the Commanders out in the black for many more years to come. We humbly ask that you help us spread the word of Elite Dangerous and encourage more Commanders to blaze their own trails by using the option to nominate Elite Dangerous for the Labor of Love Steam award.

Fly Dangerous Commanders!

o7 Commanders

Greetings Commanders,


We're delighted to announce that Twitch Drops are coming to select Elite Dangerous streams! During these streams, you will be able to earn drops just by watching!

On Tuesday 24 November at 16:30 (UTC), during our Supercruise News stream, we will be testing out the Twitch Drops system for the first time, so come along to earn drops!

Once you reach the required time for a drop, you will then need to follow the URL, link your Frontier account to your Twitch account, and then claim your reward.

Here are the rewards that we will be dropping and the times for tomorrow's stream:



Watch the stream for 15 minutes to be eligible for the Vibrant Purple Paint Job.


Watch the stream for 30 minutes to be eligible for the Purple SRV & Fighter Paint Jobs.


Watch the stream for a full hour and you will become eligible for the Purple Weapon and Engine Colours.


After this stream, we will keep you up to date on any of our future streams featuring Twitch Drops.

UPDATE

Before today’s stream, we wanted to share some more information on the Twitch Drops process.

• You do NOT have to link your Twitch and Frontier account to EARN Twitch drops.
  
• You WILL have to link them to REDEEM the Twitch Drop.
  
• Anyone who has a Twitch account and watched the stream for the allotted time will earn a drop. This drop will sit in that person's account unclaimed.
  
• You can claim your drop (by linking your Twitch and Frontier account) BEFORE or AFTER you earn a drop.

FAQ
What are Twitch Drops?
Twitch Drops are rewards given to people who tune in to designated ‘droppable’ Twitch streams. By linking your Twitch account with your Frontier account and watching the nominated streamers during the given timeframe, you could be awarded with an in-game cosmetic item!

Is Twitch Prime required to be eligible for drops?
No! Having your accounts linked, opting into the drops feature and viewing any eligible stream are the only things you need to do. Worth noting, if you begin to watch an official Twitch Drop stream and your accounts are not linked, Twitch will prompt you to link your accounts!

When is the next event taking place?
Take a look at the EliteDangerous Twitch channel for details of our next drops event. In order to give people in various time zones a fair chance to obtain the items, our Twitch Drops window will typically run for a week starting at 10am BST on the first day until 10am BST on the last day. During that time, tune in to one of our Frontier Games’ Partners (who are choosing their own streaming times) to get your rewards.

What will I be awarded?
See above for current and past drops campaign prizes. Information also available on Twitch and Frontier Games’ Social Channels. It is important to note that you don’t have to watch the stream continuously to receive prizes – the time is counted throughout the whole stream campaign. So tune in whenever you want, come enjoy yourselves, celebrate and get some cool rewards!

When and how will I receive my in-game items?
You will receive a notification on Twitch when you have been awarded the items. You will need to first claim your items on Twitch and then via this page using the claim buttons above. The items will be added to your account, so all you need to do is log in to the game. If you are already logged in, you’ll need to log out and log back in. Additionally, your Twitch Inventory will contain any and all drops that you have earned. This can be found in the drop down menu beside your name, titled Inventory when on your Twitch account.

Which platforms are included in the Twitch Drops campaigns?
Twitch Drops are activated for all three platforms the game is currently available on: PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Be sure you have your Frontier account linked with your console account.

What can I do if I didn't receive my reward in-game?
If your accounts are correctly linked and if you cannot find your reward, please do not hesitate to contact our support team

How do I know which account the drop will apply to?
If you have multiple accounts, please make sure that you link the Frontier account connected to the game that you want the reward to appear in. i.e. if you have an Xbox and a PC account, and you want it to go on the Xbox, then use the email for the Frontier account connected to the Xbox game.


CLAIM BY TODAY
Since today's Twitch Drop stream is a test, please make sure that you claim your prize by 20:00 (UTC) today. If you do not claim it by this time you may lose your drop.



o7


o7

Greetings Commanders,



Today we are merging Elite Dangerous and its expansion Horizons together. This will take place via an update at 11:00 (UTC). We do not anticipate any downtime for this.


What does this mean for me?
If you already own the Elite Dangerous base game, or you purchased it from this date, you will now have access to all the features Horizons provides added to your game, for free. Meaning you will now be able to land on planets, explore their surfaces in your SCARAB SRV, craft rare and powerful weapons with the help of a wide variety of Engineers, expand your multiplayer experience with multicrew, plus much more!


What if I already own Horizons?
For all our Commanders who have already been enjoying the Horizons expansion, you will receive the exclusive Azura Paint Job which can be applied to all 41 craft (38 ships, 3 fighters) in-game, as a thank you for your support.







The Milky Way is a big space and we are happy to bring you all a little closer together!

If you're new to Elite, you can pick up Elite Dangerous which will include the Horizons expansion content here on Steam now.

o7 Commanders

Greetings Commanders,


Last week, we released Dev Diary II - Forging Your Path, and followed up with a Discovery Scanner episode taking a deep dive into the diary. Joining us on the show, we had two special guests from the development team, giving us their insight into Odyssey. As always, during the show you had a lot of questions for us and our guests and we tried to answer as many as possible. We have collected all the messages from the forums and stream and have dropped them here as a recap . There are of course some questions that were asked that are not answered here - we have seen them, but we will share those answers at a later date!



Will Commanders be able to get out and explore smaller stations or just space ports?
At Odyssey's launch, there will be three types of social spaces;

• Planetports, Spaceports and Outposts. Planetports will be in large surface installations, such as survey sights and observatories.
  
• Spaceports will be found within larger starbases, such as the Coriolis and Orbis stations.
  
• Outpost social hubs will be located in small orbital stations like mining outposts and trade depots.

Each of these categories will have a unique layout, with a degree of standardisation to help you find your way around. The visuals inside individual installations will be themed around the economy type of the star system.
These social spaces will be the main explorable area, which you will be able to access through the hanger bays. Social spaces will be available to Odyssey players in pre-existing and new locations throughout the galaxy.


Will there being long walks from one area to the next inside starports?
We want our Commanders to be able to enter a social hub and be able to do their business in a timely manner. This is why social hubs will be built for efficiency and quest givers and vendors will be 'roughly' in the same places from port to port. Accessible areas of the starport, such as the hangers where you disembark (and marvel at your ship), are connected by a system of elevators, this will ensure that you won't have to travel for hours to access your ship, to pick up missions or meet contacts - we don't want you to be late for your Apex Interstellar ride!


Can you share more about settlements? Are they controlled by factions?
Settlements are much larger than social hubs, and they will be comprised of multiple buildings which will match the nature of the settlement. There will be different types, such as extraction, agricultural or industrial, including buildings such as power reactors and habitats where workers will be able to stay. Not all settlements will have the same buildings.
Settlements are owned by factions and connected to the BGS, the NPCs in the social hubs will differ depending on which faction is in control of that system, with visual elements inside the social hub reflecting the current BGS. Players themselves won't be able to own settlements but they will be able to support a faction contesting territory - more on this later.


How seamless is the transition into buildings in Odyssey?
We are focused on creating a seamless experience for Odyssey, in the same way we have for the base game, this is why there will not be loading screens when entering or exiting the various buildings and structures. Everything is part of the same live environment, so in the same way you can see ships coming into land through the windows of the starport social hub, you'll be able to look through the windows of buildings and see commanders, starships and SRVs going about their business.


How does mission availability vary through the game?
The missions available from contacts and boards in the social hubs and settlements will depend on the BGS status, this means you will find different missions in different locations in the same way as you do in Elite Dangerous today.
Some missions given by vendors will ask Commanders to visit a certain location, retrieve a specific item, or even kill an NPC. However, you don't need a mission to go to a settlement; you can go wherever you want, when you want - creating your own story. This includes the ability to, if you decide, perform nefarious acts like looting or killing NPCs. Just remember your actions could have a negative effect on the controlling faction, which will in turn affect your reputation with them and the BGS.


How will NPCs react to players and each other?
Odyssey's NPCs will react to players and other NPCs based on a number of factors, from obvious status elements like having a weapon drawn right through to their current BGS affiliations. NPCs have a variety of professionally voice acted dialogue which really adds to the immersion of the galaxy. If you are on good terms with a faction they will be kind to you, if you are not in good terms... start ducking, as they might start firing on sight!


Can you give some examples of the suits that will be available?
Commanders will be able to purchase and switch between multiple suits to help them with different mission types. Outside of the Flight Suit (currently in-game) you will also be able to equip the Exploration Suit, the Combat Suit and the Scavenger Suit. You will also be able to purchase multiples of each suit and give them different loadouts, dependent on your particular playstyle/mission.
The suits we mention above will be geared towards different mission activities. You do not need to own that suit type to take on a specific activity, however doing so will certainly make life easier. Suits can be upgraded in a variety of ways to help improve their capabilities. We will be announcing more on the different suit types and upgrades in the future - stay tuned!


Will suits have shields? If so, how is this managed?
All suits will have shields installed, and they will use up your battery supply. You'll have to make sure you manage your power outlet and distribution between your shields and oxygen (similar to managing the pips in your ship).


Will I have an on foot inventory?
Yes, players will have an on foot inventory and Odyssey will introduce some new materials, which you will be able to gather on foot. This includes organic samples you've collected using the Field Sampler tool for the new Exo-Biologist rank.


Does the Apex Interstellar service now mean that it is viable to travel between systems by way of taxi flights, whilst theoretically never flying your own ship?
Yes exactly, you can now choose to play Elite Dangerous without a ship! Commanders will be able to use their ships, or the Apex Interstellar service, or even both, to move about the galaxy. That being said, there will be areas Interstellar will not take you.



We will continue to answer questions about Odyssey as time goes on, and we thank you for your passion and continued support.


o7 Commanders