Greetings Commanders!

As the fires of Sol continue to flicker in the night's sky, we're here this Thursday with a brand new update for Elite Dangerous!

This update introduces a brand new ship for early access, the Cobra MK V!

• 7AM - Servers offline for maintenance
  
• Cobra Mk V will be available on the store in advance of servers being online
  
• 12.30PM - Servers back online and update 19.03 available

Please note these are approximate times and are subject to change.

• Added pre-built ships:
  
• Cobra Mk V Stellar (33,000 Arx)
  
• Cobra Mk V Standard (16,520 Arx)

• Module storage increased from 200 → 600
  
• In world holo-screen adverts now present for Cobra Mk V
  
• All shipyards will now stock one additional ship

• Fixed decals and ship IDs displaying with a border/background on some Mandalay paintjobs
  
• Fixed missing hitcheck on Python Mk II Spacehawk spoiler
  
• A fix has been implemented to resolve a number of issues related to carrier bartender transactions. However, transaction errors may still be encountered in some specific cases, please report any instances via the issue tracker and we will continue to investigate. https://issues.frontierstore.net/issue-detail/67143

Known Issue: Due to a technical issue the Mandalay Midnight Black paint jobs are currently unavailable on the store. Current owners may see an extra version in their library - this will be removed shortly.

Greetings Commanders,

As humanity banded together to strike down the penultimate Titan Raijin, the final Titan was plotting its next move... Swiftly jumping away from its previous invasion point, the final Thargoid Titan Cocijo has done what nobody expected. The Thargoid invasion of the birthplace of humanity, Sol, has begun.



The Thargoid forces have decimated the defence forces of Sol and its surrounding systems. Now, the birthplace of the human race stands on the brink of destruction. The time has come for every Commander to jump into their ships, load up their missile racks and do their part in the final battle.

Head to Sol now and join in the war for humanity that will go down in history!

Greetings Commanders!

Elite Dangerous is hurtling towards it's 10th Anniversary and it has been a truly out of this world journey along the way!

We've had planetary landings, alien invasions, a misguided scientist trying to commit genocide and so much more! With nearly a full decade worth of astounding content, stories and updates we're really proud with all that has come to pass with Elite Dangerous...And more is yet to come!

That's why we're asking for your nomination for Elite Dangerous in the Steam Awards 'Labour of Love' award!

Greetings Commanders,

We will be releasing a small update for Elite Dangerous on Thursday 28th November.

• 07:00AM - Servers Offline for maintenance
  
• 10:30AM - Servers Back Online

Please note these are approximate times and are subject to change.



Cosmetics

• Mandalay cosmetics for Midnight Black are going in alongside other metallic colourations

Misc

• Ram Tah has made further technical advances and the Tactical Core Chip is no longer required as part of the recipe for Anti-Guardian Zone Resistance
  
• inbox message reminders to complete the Powerplay 2.0 Initial assignments in order to enable ranking will no longer be sent if one of these messages is already in the inbox

Greetings Commanders,

Powerplay 2.0 has been out for a few weeks now and we are really grateful for all the feedback and reported issues you have shared.

Our intent with our balancing is to ensure a diversity of gameplay activities are viable within Powerplay 2.0, and that no activity feels significantly weaker than any other. We are continually closely monitoring for any activities which could be disproportionally more advantageous to undertake than any other, potentially creating a meta that players feel forced to play in order to rank up or participate in the conflict.

Following prevention of several exploits we will now be in a position to improve balance on the overall experience of Powerplay 2.0. We will be closely looking into:

• Significantly reducing the amount of time/effort required to earn early modules
  
• Significantly reducing the amount of time/effort required to increase ranks

In the meantime we are releasing Ascendancy Update 1 (19.01) on Thursday 21 November.

• 07:00 - Servers offline for maintenance
  
• 11:00 Servers back online and Update available

Please note these are approximate times and are subject to change.

• Fixed an exploit where Powerplay Data could be downloaded multiple times from the same Data Port
  
• Aisling Duval's Powerplay systems now correctly flag Imperial Slaves & Narcotics as illegal. Crime does not pay.
  
• Archon Delain Powerplay systems now correctly open Black Markets if they are not already present. OK...here crime might pay.
  
• Pranav Antal now closes Black Markets in Fortified/Stronghold systems.
  
• Merit awards for destroying Ship Launched Fighters have been reduced.

• Adjustments made to Flight Tutorial combat drones reducing their damage output.
  
• Type-8's collision has been adjusted so that the "arms" now have correct collision.

• Resolved a crash when using VR Power Play strategic view on Galaxy map
  
• Filters on the Galaxy Map are no longer auto selected when you hover your mouse over them

Thank you for all your continued feedback and reports!

Greetings Commanders!

The battle for galactic control evolves in the Elite Dangerous: Ascendancy update. Featuring the all-new Powerplay 2.0 rework that lets you contribute to your chosen Power in brand-new ways, see the effects of your actions like never before and be rewarded for displaying loyalty as you seek to further their influence.

Elite Dangerous: Ascendancy also includes the ARX early access launch of the Mandalay exploration ship from Zorgon Peterson*. Head to the Elite Dangerous gamestore now to get yours and discover the wonders of the galaxy in style.

*The Mandalay will be available for in-game Credits for Odyssey owners at a later date.

Find out more about Ascendancy here.

• Pledge to your Power! - all Commanders will be unpledged when Powerplay 2 goes live, this wont incur any penalties for affected Commanders and you will be able to pledge anew straight away.
  
• Show your loyalty - each Power has it's own rewards that it bestows upon it's agents as they rank up and prove their loyalty.
  
• Perk up! - each Power has it's set of perks that players can unlock via the loyalty system these can affect things like bounty payouts or faction rep gain to name a few.
  
• Modules for everyone! - each Power will now reward their agents with access to all Powerplay modules, unlock order will differ between Powers however.
  
• Have a care - Powers reward care packages through the loyalty system that give players a boost to their credit and engineering materials supply
  
• Competitive spirit - compete with your fellow agents to see who can earn the most merits for their power in a given week, participants will be rewarded with credits and the top 10 will be shown off next week
  
• A galactic view - new Powerplay galaxy map modes and filters let you access the information you need quicker, and in greater detail.
  
• A new challenger approaches - Nakato Kaine and Jerome Archer are stepping into Powerplay, Kaine as the newest Alliance power and Archer taking over from Zachary Hudson for the Federation
  
• Actions have consequences - gain control or reinforce your Power’s systems and undermine your opponents by engaging in Powerplay-related activities, including the new ability to hack and repair holoscreens on Stations and Outposts.
  
• Assign me up - take on weekly assignments given to you by your Power, based on your rank and current location. These include a variety of tasks, including gaining an amount of Bounty Vouchers or uploading Powerplay malware to Settlements.
  
• Every contribution matters - engaging in regular activities throughout the galaxy now contributes to your Power, across various aspects of the game including Bounty Hunting, Trading and more. For example, handing in exploration data to one of your Power’s systems will count as a contribution.
  
• Appearance is everything - Powers are now much more apparent when visiting stations. Depending on the Power, and their level of control, you will now see varying levels of support for them as you move around the area. From station exteriors to the concourse and even hangars, controlling Powers are being represented more than ever before.
  
• A display of strength - when systems are pushed into a Stronghold state, you may now find Stronghold Carriers present. These Stronghold Carriers act as a superior market, on the same level as Jameson Memorial, however you can only dock if you are pledged to the Power in the system.
  
• Or a perfect opportunity? - if you’re a veteran Commander pledged to a hostile Power, Stronghold Carriers can be a great target. From disabling turrets to scanning data links, there are multiple ways to engage in undermining activity. Be careful though, these Carriers will be hostile towards you!
  
• It’s who you know - Powerplay Contacts are found in ports and act as a central hub for all other contacts related to Powerplay. They’re also the place to collect your care packages, as well as Power related commodities and data, used for undermining and reinforcing.
  
• Powers on patrol - new Powerplay security vessels are present in any system controlled by a Power and guard against incursion from other Powers.
  
• Staunch supporters - you will now find Power aligned vessels as part of the ambient traffic in appropriate locations throughout the galaxy.
  
• Streamlined success - The following elements have been removed from Powerplay, providing a more streamlined and rewarding experience: Merit degradation, Voting system for expansions, Defection effects (leaving a Power now only resets your progression), Connections to government types

• Dreams of flying - the Mandalay, a brand-new ship from Zorgon Peterson, is here. Venture forth into the unknown in style with the next generation of exploration ship, available on the Elite Dangerous Gamestore now.
  
• Helm the Mandalay - with the most fuel-efficient SCO drive of any new ship to date, coupled with room for a large Fuel Scoop, travelling to those far-away systems and distant Earth-like planets is easier than ever before.
  
• Cutting through the milky way - with six hardpoints and fantastic maneuverability, the Mandalay is no easy target.
  
• To the stars that none yet dare - as well as an expansive view from the front canopy, the Mandalay boasts an additional viewport at the bottom of the cockpit, giving you great visibility when landing or taking in a beautiful vista.

• Rrepresent your Power with these new Powerplay Banner ship kit pieces, available for every Power and every ship on the Elite Dangerous Gamestore.

• Powerplay ranks will be reset when Ascendancy is available. You will need to pledge to a power if you wish to get involved with Powerplay on release.

• Adjusted background and skybox lighting to increase visible detailing
  
• Fixed weapon scope modifications not working
  
• Fixed some ships not having correct SCO audio
  
• Fixed issues when plotting route with FSD Boost enabled
  
• Fixed instances of Assimilated Relics getting teleported/pushed up with a change of getting stuck in the ceiling
  
• Fixed Noble Victory paintjob on the Krait Mk II so it now displays the correct colours

• Fixed instances of crashes relating to fighter bays
  
• Fixed instances of crashes during text mesh creation
  
• Fixed instance of player character being misplaced when pressing specific keyboard commands during sit-down animation
  
• Fixed instances of physical multicrew members being invisible after hyperspace jumping following a combination of loadout switching
  
• Physical Multicrew & Teleprensece members now receive correct rewards when aboard a ship that damages a Titan's core
  
• Fixed mission givers in social spaces not always giving out material awards, they also now give out more materials (up to 24 depending on mission type, material and mission difficulty)
  
• Fixed instances where passenger missions could not be selected unless you meet the required number of minimum-class seats, even if you meet that number with higher-class seats.
  
• Fixed incorrect animations of Type-8's small hardpoint doors
  
• Fixed power usage issues with the Type-6 Mining Jumpstart Pre-Built's default loadout
  
• Fixed instances when trying to select a Concourse Theme in the Livery manager for a Fleet Carrier, causing the screen to go black until the Livery management screen is closed.
  
• Adjusted hitcheck and landing gear extension on the Asp Scout to fix instances where an SRV can get stuck under the ship
  
• Fixed various language translations when running out of fuel with the SCO

Greetings Commanders!

In order to ensure the best possible experience we have made a small change to the release date of Elite Dangerous: Ascendancy, to adjust an issue with NPCs still being more aggressive than intended. 

Thursday 31 October sees the eagerly awaited release of Elite Dangerous: Ascendancy, featuring the new Mandalay exploration ship, Powerplay 2.0 and more! 

Here's when things kick off:

• 06:00 GMT - Maintenance begins and Elite Dangerous servers offline
  
• 15:00 GMT - Maintenance complete and Elite Dangerous: Ascendancy is available

Please note that these are approximate times and are subject to change.

Full patch notes will be available alongside the release of Elite Dangerous: Ascendancy.

Things to be aware of

• Powerplay ranks will be reset when Ascendancy is available. You will need to pledge to a Power if you wish to get involved with Powerplay on release. 
  
• The Mandalay will be available as early access via Arx initially. It will be available for credits in the future. 

Greetings Commanders,

We're pleased to announce that Elite Dangerous: Ascendancy is now scheduled to release on Tuesday 29th October! Exact timings will be shared in the coming days.

Greetings Commanders,

Following feedback and our team’s observations across the Elite Partner Program early access period, we have made the decision to push the release date of Ascendancy to the week commencing 28th October to address an NPC balancing issue and a crash instance, in order to ensure the best possible experience.
As the Mandalay early access is included as part of the Ascendancy content, this will also be pushed in line with the updated release date.

We’re sorry you have to wait a little longer, but we can’t wait to see how you shape the galaxy when Ascendancy is launched!

Greetings Commanders!

This week the Elite franchise celebrates an amazing 40 years of bringing you the freedom to explore the Milky Way in your own unique way!



"Elite" was written by David Braben and Ian Bell starting in 1982 while the authors were still at Cambridge University. It was first published by Acornsoft on the BBC Micro in September 1984 to huge critical acclaim. The rights to other computer platforms were then auctioned by Jacqui Lyons of Marjacq, and British Telecom then went on to publish on many other platforms under the name of Firebird.

"Elite" set many firsts, and was the first genuine 3D game on home computers. Even many years after its release it is fondly remembered. For example "Probably the best computer game ever" (The Times, December 1988). It went on to sell around 1,000,000 units, and is popular still, having appeared on most popular formats.

Indulge your nostalgia and experience the first incarnation with the original Elite, available FREE in the Frontier Store!


Written in five and a half years by David Braben, with Konami Inc of Japan as publisher, the game was released in October 1993 and was in the top few slots in the UK Gallup chart for the best part of the following year. It was the best selling game in Europe 1993 according to Gallup.

"Frontier" also set a number of firsts. It was the first game to have real-sized planets, where cities could be viewed from orbit, it was the first to use curved surfaces (Bezier), the only game to do a palette-fit every frame to get best use of colours!


Released in Easter 1995, "First Encounters" also had a number of firsts to its name. The game was renowned for its detailed modelling of the geography of planets, despite the relative lack of power of the target PCs at the time. It was the first game to use procedural texturing to generate the vegetation, snow and more on the planet surfaces. Mountain ranges, cliffs and wonderful alien landscapes and atmospheric effects all contributed to the atmosphere of the game, and the coloured lighting from the redder stars gave some planets an eerie look.


Released in December 2014, the BAFTA-nominated Elite Dangerous is the definitive, massively multiplayer space epic. 10 years later and Elite Dangerous has seen two expansions, an ongoing narrative filled with political intrigue, corporate espionage, a galaxy wide war against the extraterrestrial threat of the Thargoids and astounding community led initiatives and activities!



To celebrate 40 years of Elite we're giving every Elite Dangerous Live player an exclusive Ruby anniversary decal completely free! Simply head to the Elite Dangerous Gamestore to claim it for the amazing price of 0 ARX! The decal comes in a range of colour, allowing you to choose the best match for your ship!

Want to celebrate the Ruby Anniversary of Elite in style? Check out the Ruby Anniversary cosmetics available in the Elite Dangerous gamestore now!

Give your favourite ship or SRV a new look with the Ruby Anniversary paintjob, available on vehicles in the game!

Or, throwback to the past with the Dodec station bobblehead!

The Ruby Anniversary cosmetics, decal and bobblehead will be available until 21st October. Grab yours today!

Have a fond memory from 40 years of playing Elite games? Share them on social channels with #EliteRuby!

With such a historic legacy we can't wait to explore the future with you!