Greetings Commanders,

The Rhino SRV Update is now live. 

Built for commanders who prefer extraction over exploration, this heavy-duty surface recon vehicle combines rugged performance with impressive mobility. Equipped with a planetary mineral scanner, deployable mining rigs and multi-crew capability for up to three occupants, the Rhino transforms planetary surfaces into financial opportunities for the budding pioneer.  

Features of Note:

• Added Vodel's Rhino SRV:

  • Planetary Mining Deposit Scanner

  • Refinery

  • Mining Rig Deployment Module

• Adjusted the balance of: 

  • Base mining time 

  • Maximum amount of content mined

  • The % of a commodity unit within the mined content

  • Frequency of additional Microresources

  • Efficiency recharge rates

  • Efficiency based on deposit density

  • Temperature affects on rig efficiency

  • Rhino Vessel stats

  • Rig stats

• Surface Mining gameplay added:

  • Updated the Detailed Surface Scanner module to detect Planetary Mining Locations on planets.

  • Initial balance pass on: 

    • Deposit capacity per density level

    • Time to replenish a deposit

    • Commodity weighting for deposits

    • Planetary Mining Deposits/Planetary Mining Location sizes and amounts

  • Initial balance values for new commodities:

    • Bastnäsite

    • Deuterium

    • Diamond

    • Helium

    • Helium-3

    • Iridium

    • Magnesite

    • Olivine

    • Periclase dunite

    • Quartz pyroxenite 

    • Ruby

    • Sapphire

    • Thortveitite

• Added Pre-built Vessel:

  • Rhino Standard (16,520 Arx)

    • Surface Mining Vehicle.

    • Owners Club Decal.

  • Rhino Stellar (33,000 Arx)

    • Surface Mining Vehicle.

    • Excavation Yellow Paint Job. 

    • Chase Ship Kit. 

    • Owners Club Decal. 

  • Rhino Galactic (60,000 Arx)

    • All Stellar Content.

    • Motherlode Galactic Miner Cosmetic Suit.

    • Proximity Yellow Holo-Kit Pack. 

    • Deflection Ship Kit Pack. 

    • Owners Club Decal.

  • Type-11 Prospector Galactic Mining Pack (100,000 Arx)

    • Type-11 Prospector High Spec Galactic Mining Ship.

    • Rhino Galactic Surface Mining Vehicle.

    • All Type-11 and Rhino Stellar Content.

    • All Type-11 and Rhino Galactic Content.

    • Motherlode Galactic Miner Cosmetic Suit.

• New Operation "Under Siege" added. 

  • Under Siege will task Commanders with responding to a distress call from a planetary settlement, where urgent help is required to help lift a blockade and neutralise enemy forces attempting to take the settlement.

Bug Fixes:

• Resolved a crash when attempting to create a Powerplay Squad for Operations during a hyperspace jump. 

• Resolved a possible crash when attempting to load into the CQC menu.

• Resolved an issue where MercGear wasn't engineerable immediately after purchasing.

• Resolved an issue where Capital Ship's heat relays could become invulnerable.  

• Resolved instances of some voice-over line and text discrepancies, within the Rapid Response and Firestorm Rescue Operations. 

• Resolved an issue where the bundle icon and yellow coloration were not displayed on bundles within the role panel. 

• Resolved an issue where when on-foot, the Scarab and Scorpion SRVs could display boarding circles. 

• Resolved instances where the tyre tracks and dust from the SRVs could appear too dark. 

• Resolved an issue where the Kestrel's cockpit could sometimes look blurry. 

• Resolved an instance where the vessel hangar was incorrectly referred to as a fighter hangar within the crew lounge. 

• Resolved an issue where the pistons on the Vessel Hanger could clip through their housing during the launch animation. 

• Resolved an issue where decals could clash with the Snowflake \\ Snowfall paintjob on some ships.

• Resolved an issue where Docking Requests to the megaship in the Reclamation Point operation would be denied if you accidentally shot the vessel.

• Resolved an issue where damaged settlement lights could cause harsh strobing effects. 

• Resolved an issue where the circles around the modified stats may not animate, when engineering laser weapons with the Plasma Conversion modification. 

• Resolved an issue where placeholder text was visible on the "Resync Local Data" button. 

• Resolved discrepancies between the VO & text in the Tactical Takedown, Rapid Response & Firestorm Rescue operations. 

• Resolved an issue where Shipkit livery icons would not display correctly when items where installed on the Nomad. 

• Resolved an issue where the Seeker Missile Rack MercGear could not be engineered with Petra Olmanova.

• Adjusted textures in the Kestrel's cockpit. 

Known Issues:

There are currently three known issues with the update which we aim to hotfix as soon as possible.

• Under Siege Operation can sometimes complete early.

• On-foot wing UI is currently missing.

• Rhino is only collecting 9 chunks from surface mining, this will be increased to 12.

Greetings Commanders,

In this month's Elite Dangerous Dev Log:

ːsteamthumbsupː Discover the first in-game shots of the Rhino

ːsteamthumbsupː Your first details on Surface Mining

ːsteamthumbsupː And a sneak peek at the next Operation

Step behind the scenes in this month's Elite Developer Log - Online Now!

Greetings Commanders,

You may have seen last week's cryptic tease of the next new vessel coming to Elite Dangerous. We're delighted to reveal that the Rhino will be arriving at shipyards later this month, bringing with it a brand-new way to extract planetary riches.

Let's gear up and head to the surface for the first look, alongside Art Director Chris Gregory.

The Rhino is a colossal SRV built to conquer planetary surfaces and claim a world's spoils. Heavily armoured, this goliath is a sturdy and reliable transport built to withstand the rigours of enemy attention.

Chris: "It’s been a while so it was great to get back on 6 wheels, there is something very satisfyingly tactile about creating an SRV and the way it interacts with the planetary terrain. There are lots of smaller considerations we have to make; the suspension, the dust from the tyres and very a fun driving model, all play a part in making them feel very different to behind the controls in a ship."

As many of you guessed from last week's teaser, the Rhino's main function is one which is brand-new to Elite Dangerous; Surface Mining.

Chris: "Surface Mining will be a great new experience for Commanders, and the design philosophy behind the Rhino was engineered with this new task in mind. We wanted it to feel deeply rooted in being a utility vehicle, armoured to protect it from the eyes of those seeking an easy pay day."

We'll be sharing more about Surface Mining soon, but this is a new way of acquiring raw materials around geological sites on a planetary surface. Keep an eye out for the next Dev Log for some more details on how this all works beneath the surface.

The Rhino marks the largest SRV which a Commander can deploy from their ship, however all that size is a requirement for the tech which this rugged workhorse is packing.

Chris: "After the all-purpose Scarab and the combat leaning Scorpion, The Rhino is an SRV built for mining and as such it’s a much larger vehicle. So big in fact that it cannot be deployed through the regular cargo hatch like the other SRVs! Instead the Rhino is dropped from the new vehicle bay."

"The Rhino's cockpit also has seats for three commanders, but the rest of its interior space is needed to store the materials it gathers and its equipment so unlike the Nomad there is no accessible interior space, but as for what that equipment might be... you'll have to discover for yourselves..."

The Rhino will launch in ARX Early Access later this month, alongside the first brand-new operation. For more behind the scenes, take a look at July's Dev Log for a look at some of the hidden details which bring Operations to life. For all the latest news on Elite Dangerous make sure to follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our regular emails for news straight to your inbox, or explore guides and upcoming content via our website.

Greetings Commanders,

The Operations Update 2 is now live. This update addresses a number of issues, including Operations rewards and lost exploration data.

Please note that Missing Operations Rewards and on-Foot inventories will be returned at a later time.

• Players unsold exploration data from before the 2nd July Maintenance has now been restored and can be sold as normal.

• Players can now restore their visited star data cache file via the "Resync Local Data" button located within the Help and Info submenu from the Main Menu.

• Operations Rewards (Merc Coins, Credits, Materials and Inventory) will be retroactively granted to players at a later date for previously completed Operations which didn't grant rewards as expected

• Players whose on-foot inventories may have wiped after completing an operation before 2330 UTC Wednesday 2nd will have their inventories restored.

• Merc Engineering / Merc Modules telegraphing improvements:

  • Improved telegraphing within Outfitting.

  • Improved telegraphing within the Ships Internal Panel.

• Resolved an issue where the Operations Rewards screen could appear empty for some players, despite successfully distributing rewards.

• Resolved an issue where the "Mission Updated" notification could minimise the Operations Rewards screen.

• Resolved an issue where the UI could highlight the starting Frontline Runner as a mission objective throughout an Operation.

• Resolved an issue where if a player dies with an active NPC crew during an Operation, the NPC crew may not respawn upon restart.

• Resolved instances of some voice-over line and text discrepancies, within the Reclamation Point Operation.

• Resolved an issue where the wheels of the Scarab SRV could display erratic visual behaviour.

• Resolved a crash that could occur when opening the Powerplay menu during a hyperspace jump.

• Resolved an issue where the fighter bay could clip through the Nomad when launching and docking.

• Resolved an issue where fighter bay doors could clip through support pistons and the main ramp could appear misaligned.

Greetings Commanders!

The moment has arrived! The Operations Update is here. Your Team. Your Tactics. Your Triumph. Operations brings a new layer of high-intensity, squad-focused gameplay to Elite Dangerous, centred around teamwork, coordination and tactical execution.

Operations can be initiated either by a lone Commander or a fully formed squad, with optional matchmaking available to fill any remaining positions. Once an Operation has been launched, all Commanders are transported aboard the new Operation Runner, a specialised deployment vessel that carries the team directly to the designated scenario system. There are six Operations currently to choose from, and we have more planned for future updates!

This update also brings with it the mighty Nomad! This compact, ship-launched utility vessel has been designed for exploring and navigating through planetary terrain with exceptional manoeuvrability. Its nimble thrusters, responsive handling, small landing footprint and rapid spool-up capability makes it quick to set down, even in the most challenging environments. It also comes equipped with a specialised MK II Biological Scanner for the detection of biological signals directly from the cockpit! 

Designed with ease of use in mind, the Nomad features accessible entry points, supporting both rapid disembarking and swift re-entry, allowing commanders to move around the vessel with ease. The Nomad can be deployed from a compatible vessel bay, including MK I and MK II modules.

Check out the Update Notes below for the full details!

• New Operations Feature (Networking & Balancing Beta):

  • The Operations framework introduces many new features, including:

    • A brand new lobby and matchmaking system for engaging Operations 

    • 6 Initial Operations: 

      • Tactical Takedown:

        • The client's megaship has been compromised by a rival faction, you will need to board the ship and fight your way through the command deck to obtain intel and trace the origin of the attack. Then you'll want to bring your firepower to bear on the general responsible for the attack at their home base.

      • Firestorm Rescue:

        • There are hostages trapped in a burning station, break the siege and evacuate those that remain. You will need to manage the station's heat to buy enough time to complete the rescue while dealing with the hostile forces trying to stop you.

      • Reclamation Point:

        • The megaship has been hijacked, your job is to eliminate all hostile forces in and around the megaship so the client can recover it. You'll need your best gear and ship to accomplish your goal.

      • Biohazard Takedown:

        • A group of researchers is developing a dangerous weapon, you need to assault the ship, obtain the location and IDs of the researchers and take them out.

      • Rapid Response:

        • A planetary port has come under attack and some personnel are still trapped inside who need rescuing. You cannot delay, as a huge hostile fleet is on the way. If the evacuation is not completed in time, there will be no hope for those still inside.

      • Terminal Prosecution:

        • A criminal element is causing trouble in the system, they've been raiding for weeks now, it's your job to clear them out.

    • Merc Coin that can be used to purchase the following MercGear:

      • Blueprints:

        • Thermal Plasma Conversion - Increased power draw to convert a portion of damage to plasma for beam/pulse/burst lasers.

        • Scoop Rate Enhanced - Increased power draw to improve fuel scoop rate for fuel scoops.

      • Pre-Engineered Hardpoints:

        • Enduring Feedback Rail Gun - Increased mass, power draw and reduced damage to improve reload time, heat generation, range and ammo capacity. Includes Feedback Cascade effect.

        • Far-Reaching Abrasion Blaster - Reduced power draw, distributor draw and thermal load with increased shot speed and maximum range at the cost of integrity.

        • Double Screaming Fragment Cannon - Increased ammo capacity, clip size, burst size and reduced reload time at the cost of reduced maximum range, rate of fire and increased mass and power draw.

        • Long Range Mining Laser - Increased range with reduced power draw, distributor draw and thermal load at the cost of reduced integrity and damage.

        • Rapid Phase Multi-Cannon - Increased shots per round, ammo capacity, clips size and rate of fire at the cost of reduced range and increased jitter.

        • Drag Seeker Missile Rack - Increased ammo capacity, clip size and rate of fire at the cost of increased mass, power draw and distributor draw.

        • Lightweight Thermal Seeker Missile Rack - Increased ammo capacity, clip size, rate of fire and reduced mass, power draw and distributor draw at the the cost of reduced integrity.

        • Lockdown Seeker Missile Rack - Increased ammo capacity, clip size, integrity and reduced thermal load at the cost of increased power draw and mass and reduced rate of fire and damage.

      • Pre-Engineered Core Modules: 

        • Support Focused Power Distributor - Increased engine and systems capacity and charge rate at the cost of reduced weapons capacity charge rate.

        • Balanced Power Distributor - Moderate distributor rate and charge increase and reduced power draw by increasing mass and reducing integrity.

      • Pre-Engineered Internal Modules: 

        • Extended Cargo Rack - Increased cargo capacity.

        • Long Range Detailed Surface Scanner - Increased mass and power draw is traded for better probe radius.

        • Heavy Duty Module Reinforcement Package - Increased module protection at the cost of increased mass.

• As with any major change we make to Elite Dangerous, we have to balance a variety of connectivity and server considerations, such as measuring the load on Elite's servers in a live service environment. As we introduce Operations, we'll be doing this with a Networking & Balancing Beta stage, essentially allowing us to make tweaks and adjustments more regularly behind the scenes to ensure optimal performance.

• Nomad added to outfitting:

  • Added Mk II Biological Scanner - A pulse scanner that detects biological signatures.

  • Added Pulse Lasers - A pulse laser weapon on a fixed mount. 

  • Adjusted Mk I Vessel Bay which is available on the following ships:

    • Alliance Crusader (Class 5-6)

    • Anaconda (Class 5-7)

    • Beluga Liner (Class 5-6)

    • Caspian Explorer (Class 5-7)

    • Federal Corvette (Class 5-7)

    • Federal Gunship (Class 5-6)

    • Imperial Cutter (Class 5-7)

    • Keelback (Class 5)

    • Krait MkII (Class 5-6)

    • Panther Clipper Mk II (Class 5-7)

    • Type-9 Heavy (Class 5-7)

    • Type-10 Defender (Class 5-7)

    • Type-11 Prospector (Class 5-6)

  • Added Mk II Vessel Bay which is available on the following ships: 

    • Caspian Explorer (Class 5-7)

    • Panther Clipper Mk II (Class 5-7)

    • Type-11 Prospector (Class 5-6)

• Added Pre-built ships:

  • Nomad Standard Bundle (16,520 ARX)

    • Standard Ship

    • Mk II Biological Scanner

    • Owners Club Decal

  • Nomad Stellar Bundle (33,000 ARX)

    • Standard Ship

    • Mk II Biological Scanner

    • Cliffhanger Orange Paint Job

    • Strider Ship Kit

    • Owners Club Decal

  • Nomad Galactic Bundle (60,000 ARX)

    • Standard Ship

    • Mk II Biological Scanner

    • All Stellar Content

    • Signal Blue Holo-Kit Pack

    • Rambler Ship Kit Pack

    • Internal Science Kit Pack

    • Owners Club Decal

• Made adjustments to Stellar Lighting (Issue ID: 45769)

• Adjusted galactic background colouring. for better visuals

  • Using real world reference images we have rebalanced the Galactic background lighting.

• Distant Worlds 3 Community Logo Decal added.

Issue Tracker Fixes:

• Resolved an issue where on-foot Conflict Zones would fail, despite the player winning them and shuttles were not arriving to return players to stations. (Issue ID: 80753)

• Resolved an issue where on-foot Conflict Zones would fail to be in the correct state when a player arrives via Dropship. (Issue ID: 78904)

• Resolved an issue were Conflict Zones were not being resolved correctly, resulting in a large number persisting in some systems. (Issue ID: 78480)

• Resolved an issue where non-squadron member could not use Services on an open Squadron Carrier. (Issue ID: 81727)

Bug Fixes:

• Resolved an issue where Squadron Carrier cargo capacity could be exceeded.

• Resolved a crash when entering a '$' sign followed by non-standard character for the Ship Name or ShipID.

• Resolved instances of a softlock when purchasing a Squadron Carrier then defecting to another Squadron.

• Resolved an issue where some station cosmetics were not applying correctly.

• Resolved an issue where Squadron Carriers could not be managed by the Squadron leader, or anyone with sufficient permissions, in an Administration system.

• Resolved an issue where the "Beyond Frontline" penalty was sometime displaying the incorrect level.

• Resolved instances where constructions were not correctly converted to markets at the correct time.

• Resolved instances of an issue where facility Demolitions were unable to be cancelled.

• Resolved instances where the terrain stamp was not working correctly for some Planetary Ports.

• Resolved instances of an issue where multiple Orbital Installations and Outposts were able to be constructed around Gas Giants despite it only have 1 construction slot.

• Resolved instances of Scarlett Krait disconnects when remaining docked on a Colonisation Ship when it leaves the system.

• Resolved instances where Construction Points were not being refunded correctly after a facility was demolished.

• Resolved an issue where Frontline Solutions would not book a dropship upon enlisting for a conflict.

• Resolved an issue where players were unable to purchase ships from a Squadron Carrier after shipyard stock was recently purchased for the Carrier.

• Resolved an issue where Squadron Carriers were not being assigned over to the new leader when an existing leader of a Squadron leaves.

• Minor adjustments made to the emissive lighting on the Guardian obelisks.

• Resolved instances of incorrectly reporting available slots for System Colonisation, especially after demolishing facilities.

Greetings Commanders,

As we work towards the upcoming Operations update on 30th June, we're delighted to share the first concepts of the next new vessel coming to Elite Dangerous, The Nomad.

Today we'll take a first look at this small but mighty explorer, including some early images straight from the design studio.

NOMAD

The Nomad is a small and compact ship-launched vessel which is built to explore planetary surfaces. Its rugged shape and design is perfect for getting up close with organics and new discoveries.



As mentioned, the Nomad is ship-launched, so it creates a new kind of exploration approach for Commanders. You can still land your larger exploration ship on a planet's surface, but utilising the Nomad you're now able to choose to leave your main ship above the planet, deploy in the Nomad and get up close to those harder to reach organics.


One of the first things to notice is that the Nomad utilises different landing gear to other ships. These narrower helicopter-inspired landing skids give the Nomad a smaller landing profile, allowing it to perch on more uneven terrain where previously it would have been a challenge to land in a larger ship. 


Another key visual distinction is that the engines will pivot upon landing, and naturally sit just above the ground. That's where those landing skids come in handy, as it gives a Commander more freedom in exploring different locations on a planetary surface.



This new type of ship will offer Commanders using a larger exploration ship such as the Caspian Explorer more flexibility in how they approach scanning for organics.


This is only the first look, but we have much more to reveal with the Nomad. There's more to this ship than meets the eye...

The Nomad will launch in ARX Early Access alongside Operations on 30th June. For more information on Operations, check out our recent May Dev Log, or our earlier deep dive. For all the latest news on Elite Dangerous make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our regular emails for news straight to your inbox, or explore guides and upcoming content via our website.

Greetings Commanders,

The Lynx Highliner update is now available for Elite Dangerous!

Take your guests out to the farthest reaches of the galaxy with the new Lynx Highliner ship crafted by the experts at Zorgon Peterson! This impressive medium-class vessel sets a new benchmark for high-capacity travel, accommodating up to 225 passengers and is available now for credits at shipyards for all Elite Dangerous Odyssey owners!

Read the full Update Notes below

Features of Note:

• Added Lynx Highliner to shipyards

  • Mk. II Business & Economy Passenger Cabins

    • With a 1.5x increase in passenger capacity. 

• Added pre-built ships:

  • Lynx Highliner Standard bundle (0 Arx)

    • Standard Ship

    • Owners Club Decal

  • Lynx Highliner Stellar Upgrade (discounted to 16,480 Arx)

    • High-spec ship loadout

    • Traversal Blue Paintjob

    • Stream Ship Kit

    • Owners Club Decal

  • Lynx Highliner Galactic Upgrade (discounted to 43,480 Arx)

    • All Stellar Content

    • Bulwark Ship Kit

    • Extract Red Paintjob

    • Beacon Yellow Holo-Kit

• Passenger Missions:

  • Added new bulk passenger evacuation missions.

  • Added passenger mission variants to support medium sized landing pads.

  • Adjustments to increase passenger missions spawn rates in Colonised systems.

  • Added passenger type stats added to player journal entries.

  • Adjustments made to passenger cabins UI to allow for the higher passenger cabin capacities.

• Distant Worlds 3 Decal added. 

Bug Fixes

• Adjustments made to Imperial Cutter landing gear and stairs to support paintjobs.

• Adjustments made to Imperial Cutter landing gear and stairs for better scaling and detailing. 

• Resolved an issue where Viper vanity camera angles were pointing in the wrong direction. 

• Resolved a routing issue with the bass of NPC footsteps.

• Resolved an issue with the game not loading sound for suppressed & audio masked Karma AR-50, resulting in missing audio.

• Resolved a rare occasion in which the Manticore Executioner could play the wrong suppressed fire sound.

• Resolved an issue with reload/clip empty sound constantly playing on Karma AR-50 suppressed fire sound.

• Resolved an issue with the Panther Clipper not stopping audio layers when switching between camera modes, which could result in a build-up of audio layers over time and in extreme cases stop layers of audio altogether.

• Adjusted volume of on-foot self-breathing loop to strike a better balance between combat and exploration scenarios.

• Addressed issue that could result in a very loud Melee Scream.

• Increased Range of suppressed weapons from 40 to 128 meters to bring them in line with other weapon ranges. This is still shorter than the non-suppressed weapons.

• Adjusted Manticore Executioner suppressed & audio-masked sounds so they are comparable with suppressed modes on Karma AR-50 and P-15.

• Slightly increased the audio fire rate of the Karma AR-50 to get it as close as possible to the visuals.

• Reduced presence of Hit and Kill notify sounds in the mix.

• Adjusted volume of physics impacts on other ships.

• Addressed a click in an engine layer of the Kestrel.

• Addressed a routing and trigger issue with the Main Menu Hangar announcements. 

Greetings Commanders,

After careful evaluation, we have made the difficult decision to delay the release of Operations, which will now be arriving in June. We know this news is disappointing, and would like to apologise to our amazing community for the further delay of this major game update. We're incredibly grateful for your patience and understanding as the squad takes time to ensure Operations is delivered with the quality and care that our Commanders deserve. 

As a thank you to our Commanders, and to share our appreciation of their continued support, the Standard edition of the latest Ship arriving to Elite Dangerous next week (28 April) will be available for all Commanders immediately for in-game credits. Further options will be available to purchase a Stellar or Galactic upgrade pack through ARX, at a reduced cost.

First lets take a peek at what is arriving in April, before taking a deeper look at the Operations update and what Commanders can expect to see in June.

Entering into the passenger liner market for the first time, Zorgon Peterson introduces the Lynx Highliner. This impressive medium-class vessel sets a new benchmark for high-capacity travel, accommodating up to 225 passengers. Destined to become the centrepiece of everyday space travel, the Lynx Highliner features both Economy and Business class and can be outfitted with advanced Mk II cabins. What’s more, multiple landing ramps ensure boarding and disembarking are swift and seamless, while Commanders are treated to their own exclusive front and rear entrances. 

Built from the ground up for passenger comfort and safety, the Lynx Highliner has a durable defence system with one Large and four Medium Hardpoints, positioning it as the most secure passenger liner currently available. When optimised for pure defence, the Lynx Highliner’s shield and hull strength make it the ideal choice for transport and rescue encounters. 


The Highliner sports a utilitarian visual style, in stark contrast to existing passenger liners which sit at the luxury end of interstellar travel. Zorgon Peterson’s latest vessel is set to shake up the options for Pilots moving a large number of passengers safely around the galaxy.

"The Lynx Highliner is the first passenger-focused ship in this new wave of vehicles, and it’s been exciting to create something for Commanders who want to support the flow of populations around the galaxy. Previous passenger liners have been centred around ultra luxury, almost akin to super yachts, so for the Highliner, we’re excited to offer a true ‘airliner’ built to transport lots of passengers in safety. The Lynx really differentiates itself through that ability to defend itself and is more than capable of repelling attackers until support can arrive. We've accentuated this with the more 'utilitarian' style of design, which is very in keeping with the idea of a passenger transport." - Spokesperson for Zorgon Peterson

Technical Spec:

Hardpoints:

• 1 x Large Hardpoint

• 4 x Medium Hardpoint

Core Internals:

• Size 5 Power Plant

• Size 6 Thrusters

• Size 5 FSD

• Size 6 Life Support

• Size 5 Power Distributor

• Size 3 Sensors

• Size 5 Fuel Tanks

Optional Internals:

• 1 x Size 1

• 1 x Size 2

• 1 x Size 3

• 2 x Size 4

• 2 x Size 5

• 3 x Size 6

This new multi-stage Operation system is designed for squad-based gameplay, allowing up to 4 Commanders to take on a variety of increasingly difficult challenges, completing goals and earning rewards across the galaxy.

Operations will be accessible via the Mission boards when docked at Starports, Fleet Carriers and Squadron Carriers.

There will be two modes for Operations:

• Mercenary Mode: This is the default mode for Operations. It carries no consequences or Powerplay effects, and is fully accessible to any Commanders who meet the scenario requirements.

• Powerplay Mode: Adding a layer of strategic depth, squads are able to undermine a chosen Power as part of an Operation. Eligible systems are determined by the squad Leader's Power alignment and current location, ensuring Commander's can't target their own Power. Unaligned Commanders can join these scenarios but they will not earn any Merits.

Commanders will be able to build their own squad of allies or create a squad via matchmaking with other Commanders across different systems.

Operations Scenarios

There are a variety of Operations to choose from, including defending a megaship or helping in a station rescue, each taking place in their own bespoke isolated environment.

Every Operation has multiple stages with a wide range of challenges at different difficulty levels. The scenarios available to Commanders at launch will be:

• Counter Attack - Infiltrate a recently attacked Megaship, learn who's responsible for the chaos, travel to their base and goad them into a fight to take them down!

• Burning Rescue - Rescue the inhabitants of a Station under siege! Blow the door clamps and free the Station's people, all while fighting off enemies.

• Megaship Massacre Reclaim - Fight your way to an offline Megaship, kill the hostile looters, and battle enemy ships back to safety before time runs out.

• Megaship Massacre Strike - Sneak into a Megaship, taking out hostile crew members as the clock ticks down, and let the people who hired you take over.

• Surface Rescue - Rescue the inhabitants of a planet port before attacking forces return with reinforcements and decimate them.

• Pirate Hunt - You've been hired to take out a Pirate Boss. Travel to the area they have been terrorising and destroy as much of their fleet as possible to taunt them into a fight!

After the launch of Operations, we will continue to add to the number of available scenarios over time, giving you and your fellow Commanders more ways to work together and earn rewards.

Once a squad is formed and an Operation scenario selected, Commanders will be transported to the Operations Runner; the central hub for each Operation. As a specialised deployment vessel, the Runner will serve as a squad's entry point to the Operation as well as respawn and final extraction point.

If any Commanders in a squad are defeated during any stage of an Operation, they will automatically return to the Runner where their ship is fully repaired, re-fueled and re-armed before they are redeployed back into the action. The Runner's position in each scenario makes it easier for Commanders to travel back to an Operation objective quickly and dive straight back into the action.

Inviting Other Commanders to an Operation

After setting up an Operation, squad Leaders will be able to invite other Commanders to join their Operation, although they will need to be docked to select an Operation and send out an invite. squads don't need to all be in the same location to take part in an Operation together, as they can be formed by Commanders from across the galaxy and you'll all be jumped to the Operation Runner ahead of an Operation start.

Finding a Team for Operations

To join a squad via matchmaking, Commanders will need to be docked to access the open squad listings in the Operations menu. They will then be able to post an open Operation or select an Operation. If not docked when selecting an open Operations listing from another Commander, your spot will be reserved on the squad until you dock your ship.

Completing an Operation will grant each Commander a selection of rewards, including Credits, Materials, Merits (Powerplay Mode) and Merc Coin (New to Operations).

Note: The numbers shown on the screenshot above are a work in progress and not final.

Merc Coin is a new form of earnable currency, obtained by successfully completing Operations, that can be used to purchase rewards, such as Ship Modules (including weapons, core internals, optional internals) and Engineering Blueprints.

Merc Coin is issued following the successful completion of an Operations scenario and Commanders will receive a weekly bonus for the first time certain activities are completed. This brand new earned currency is not purchasable for ARX. 

Alongside Merc Coin, Commanders will receive other rewards for completing Operation scenarios, such as:

• Materials

• Credits

• Merits (Powerplay Mode exclusive)

The value of these rewards will vary depending on the scenario and the Operation difficulty with more challenging Operations offering Commanders larger rewards for their hardwork. Commanders will also be able to purchase rewards, such as Ship Modules and continue to upgrade them as they earn more Merc Coin. 

As Operations expands over time, so will the rewards.

Note: The numbers shown on the screenshot above are a work in progress and not final.

Once again, we really appreciate our Commander's continued support and understanding with this delay to Operations. We cannot wait for you all to experience the Lynx Highliner, free for all Commanders, with Stellar and Galactic upgrade packs at a reduced cost on the ARX store.

Keep an eye on Elite social channels for more information about Operations before its release in June.

Until then, fly safe Commanders.

o7

Greetings Commanders,

The Kestrel Mk II Update is now live. 

Core Dynamics is changing the rules of engagement with their next generation combat vessel. Designed for pilots who value agility, precision, and relentless firepower this small-frame combat ship delivers performance above its weight class. Available now via ARX early access, alongside an significant number of audio changes and improvements as well as bug fixes. 

Features of Note:

• Added Core Dynamics Kestrel Mk II

  • Mk II Agile Boost Thrusters

    • Increased maneuverability while boosting including a significant increase to lateral and vertical thrust.

  • Mk II Plasma Shock Accelerator

    • Burst fire Shock Cannon with plasma damage type and built in plasma slug functionality.

  • In world holo-screen adverts now present for Kestrel Mk II

• Added pre-built ships:

  • Kestrel Mk.II Standard (16,520 Arx)

    • Standard Ship. 

    • Owners Club Decal.

  • Kestrel Mk.II Stellar (33,000 Arx)

    • High Spec Ship. 

    • Primacy White Paint Job. 

    • Aggro Ship Kit. 

    • Owners Club Decal. 

  • Kestrel Mk.II Galactic (60,000 Arx)

    • All Stellar Content.

    • Flare Animated Holo-Kit. 

    • Swift Ship Kit Pack. 

    • Owners Club Decal.

• On-Foot Combat Audio Rebalance:

  • The Combat audio has been extensively reworked to improve situation awareness during combat.

    • Gunfire carries further and gives better feedback to the player about ongoing conflicts. 

    • Enemy fire is easier to pinpoint, through clearer directionality and reduced reverb clutter.

    • Explosions and grenades stand out more, with sharper transients and better indoor/outdoor differentiation.

    • When you're hit or grazed, surrounding gunfire briefly adjusts to improve threat identification.

    • Hit markers, shield breaks and kill confirmations are more legible in the mix.

  • Weapon Audio Refresh (Per Weapon):

    • Manticore Executioner:

      • More powerful, heavier sound profile.

      • New layers improve threat, distance readability, and presence.

    • Manticore Intimidator:

      • Updated existing audio to match weapons threat profile

      • Clearer, chunkier close‑range impact.

    • Karma AR-50 & Karma P-15:

      • Redesigned with new assets, sharper impacts and improved presence.

      • Cleaner transient detail and consistent first‑/third‑person presentation.

      • Better indoor audio behaviour and more convincing bullet impacts.

    • Grenades (Shield Disruptor & Frag):

      • Shield Disruptor grenades now have a distinct audio signature.

      • Explosions feel more impactful and are more readable during combat.

    • Explosions (General):

      • More impactful, less muddy at distance, and better filtered inside buildings.

  • Movement Audio Improvements:

    • We’ve improved clarity and positioning for a wide range of movement sounds:

      • Footsteps are clearer, better placed in 3D space, and vary more distinctly between walking, running and crouching.

      • Surfaces (metal, concrete, sand, gravel) sound more natural and less harsh.

      • Breathing, jumping and sliding have richer character and better mix presence.

      • Suit voice cues are slightly softer and less resonant.

    • These changes help you better locate other players and NPCs—and feel more grounded in the environment.

  • Environmental & Spatial Enhancement:

    • Settlements, buildings and outdoor areas mixing adjustments:

      • Indoor spaces now have more natural reverb and echo behaviour.

      • Settlement ambience has been reduced to eliminate consitent metal like droning. 

      • Distant ships, dropships and engines are quieter while on foot, revealing space in the mix to hear enemy fire and footsteps. 

      • Explosions now shake rooms more believably through improved  detection.

  • Mixing, Clarity & Quality Passes:

    • A major behind‑the‑scenes mix and routing cleanup improves overall readability and combat awareness. 

      • Unified hit‑feedback EQ across weapons and impacts.

      • More consitent filtering on occlusion between in door and outdoor areas. 

      • Improved weapon dry and tail mixing balance for situational awareness.

      • New compression settings for hardpoints for sharper weapon detail.

    • These upgrades strengthen performance, clarity, and consistency across all audio systems.

Issue Tracker Fixes 

• Resolved instances of the Caspian Explorer being unable to scoop cargo. (Issue ID: 81867)

• Resolved an issue where gaining CQC rank would re-award the starter zone permit. (Issue ID: 82528)

• Resolved an issue with NPC Crew rank getting "stuck". (Issue ID: 51702)

Bug Fixes

• Adjustments made to 2025 Festive Jumper textures to make them less "shiny".

• Adjustments made to Caspian Explorer shipkit textures when metallic paintjobs are applied.

• Adjustments made to improve scooping floating cargo with the Caspian Explorer.

• Resolved an issue where Powerplay Commodities could be stored in a Squadron Bank.

• Resolved instances of Powerplay Reinforcement score not being applied when killing criminal Commanders.

• Resolved instances of Powerplay PvP kills not rewarding any score or merits.

• Resolved an issue preventing side decals displaying correctly on the Zorgon Peterson Adder.

• Resolved a telegraphing issues with the "Autoloader" mod on weapons:

  • When ammo is fully depleted with a weapon using the "Autoloader" mod, the UI will now display "Reloading" rather than continuing to tick up without actually allowing the player to fire. 

• Resolved long‑range explosion audibility issues.

• Resolved a rare audio hang when exiting the ship during menu interactions.

Greetings Commanders!

Join us for the February Developer Log, where we take you through everything happening across the galaxy!

This month, we’re kicking things off with a look at what’s ahead, unveiling the year’s first new ship, looking back on a full year of System Colonisation, and diving into the latest on Operations.