What changed in Elite Dangerous in 2021

The all-new Scorpion SRV is now available from Vodel, featuring a twin-seat design and equipped with a Surge Repeater and Aculeus launcher.

New types of Multi Limpet Controllers added: Mining, Operations, Rescue, Xeno (all Size 3) and Universal (Size 7).

Major improvements made to light tinting from atmospheres.

Missing information about Fleet Carriers now displayed correctly.

Various missing translations have been added to the game.

AI in dropships now take damage if the dropship is destroyed before deployment.

Multi-Limpet Controllers are now available from Outfitting, allowing programming of limpets for various tasks.

Implemented a fix for Megaship Cargo and Escape Pod canisters getting stuck inside ships.

Multiple optimisations implemented for rendering and performance improvements.

Avatar skin now utilizes ambient occlusion correctly.

Commander’s reputation in Combat Zones now displays correctly.

NPCs at settlements can now offer missions, with new mechanics for mission failure.

Fixed a crash that occurred when selecting telepresence crew member fighters to deploy.

New Multi-Limpet Controllers available for various tasks.

Core mining fragments should no longer become trapped inside asteroids.

Visual effect of Thermal Conduit now reflects module's heat impact accurately.

Enhanced audio for Scarab tire sounds and other SRV-related audio fixes.

Pre-engineered modules now display correct information in the outfitting screen.

Resolved issue of materials getting stuck in mineable rocks.

Delivery missions now progress correctly upon interacting with contacts.

Fixed an issue where handing in multiple bounty vouchers could cause text strings to cascade incorrectly.

Multiple crash issues addressed, including mission invitation and dialogue crashes.

A new SRV designed for infantry support with two seats and unique weapons.

Fixed an issue preventing tab switching on the comms panel when using headlook.

Pre-engineered module rewards now display informative descriptions in the outfitting screen.

Reverted to previous reward structure instead of ship engineering materials.

Enhancements made when disembarking at settlements in Colonia system.

Includes Galaxy Map Search Bar, Galnet Local News Articles, and on-foot comms panel.

The Alliance Crusader, Anaconda, Beluga, Federal Corvette, Imperial Cutter, Type9 and Type10 now support multicrew of 4.

Emotes and the Emote Marker System have been added, allowing players to use various emotes.

Significant performance improvements made to the on-foot experience, including lighting and shadow optimisations.

Four new Engineers (Baltanos, Eleanor Bresa, Rosa Dayette, Yi Shen) have been added to the Colonia region.

Existing Horizons cosmetics now have Odyssey counterparts included at no additional cost.

New missions to meet and interact with characters at settlements, including Delivery and Smuggling missions.

An issue causing conflict zones to occasionally spawn too close to starports has been fixed.

Dropship obstacle avoidance has been improved.

Players can now disembark into the internal concourse on Wells-Class Megaships.

Fixed issues with NPC voice audibility when a full-screen menu exists.

Fixed audio emitter positions being off on the Type-10 and Federal Corvette.

Paintjob name no longer hidden when UI is hidden.

No notification until 10 seconds before the jump.

Improved Support mission availability.

Prevented players from setting controls back to default scheme.

Fixed issue causing community goals to be removed when abandoning a mission.

New limit of 200 for personal bookmarks.

Allows longer mission titles to be displayed.

Damage application to Thargoids corrected to prevent invincibility.

Data link and composition scanner reticules now distinguishable.

Reticule color corrected when targeting scannable assets.

UI now accurately shows when a heatsink has been re-armed.

Limit of 200 each for personal bookmarks; Squadron bookmark limit unchanged.

Now represented accurately.

Fixed issue causing Thargoid Hearts to appear invincible.

When opening the system map in a system with settlements present.

Income values now account for both own income and exploited systems.

An issue has been fixed whereby the Ship AI could disengage super cruise too close to stars.

An issue has been fixed whereby NPC's would no longer use flashlights in the dark making it very hard to see.

Trying to manage a suit loadout from in ship or SRV on a planet surface caused game to immediately crash for some Commanders.

"Balanced" can be selected in the FSR graphics options.

Improvements made to general stability.

An issue has been fixed whereby a crash could sometimes happen during outfitting.

An issue has been fixed whereby Commanders were unable to aim down the sight of the Intimidator weapon.

Some players experienced a 'Black Adder' disconnect when purchasing and equipping a livery item. Instances of this should now be resolved.

An issue has been fixed whereby Ship Launched Fighter crew would get a little overconfident with their acknowledgements.

Fixed POI (retrieval) mission progression. Some Commanders were experiencing an issue whereby they couldn't hand in item retrieval missions.

An issue has been fixed whereby point defense turrets were failing to destroy hatch breaker limpets.

The bartender will no longer crash your game when you try and sell your goods to them.

An issue has been fixed whereby auto launch would eject ships to outside of mass lock range.

Fix for FSR not working with VR HMD virtual flatscreen.

'Hold E to Loot' was proving troublesome for many. We've reverted the action back to being a single button press.

An issue has been fixed whereby torches would not be visible in the camera suite, nor on other players in an instance.

An issue has been fixed whereby ambient occlusion would not render correctly at certain resolutions - including when using FSR.

Improved replication for tools' audio and VFX states to other players.

Ships and landing pads are now more audible inside social spaces and buildings.

Increased game performance by rendering at a lower resolution and upscaling.

Added option to purchase module and immediately store it instead of installing on the ship.

AI now predominantly face the direction they are patrolling, smoothing out their turning.

New Enforcer Troops armed with rockets introduced into the game.

Implemented a fix for tutorial music stopping abruptly when opening the airlock.

Resolved issues with AI door authorisations.

Camera now tests for collisions and prevents movement into collidable geometry.

Detail in planetary textures in the distance has been improved.

Optimisations made to glass shaders for better performance.

Fixed issues causing Point Of Interest missions to fail to spawn correctly.

Fixed an issue where donations were only possible one material at a time.

Improvements to color and texture of planet surfaces.

Elite Dangerous now exits cleanly without the 'black screen hang'.

Fixed for release in Update 6.

Long requested community features which will arrive in the near future.

Fixed – awaiting deployment (Update 6 / maintenance).

AI rocket troops will be added to military bases providing a greater challenge.

Four Commanders will be able to board ships together for the first time.

New planetary colouration which will increase vibrancy and variety.

Passengers can redirect their Apex shuttle mid-flight.

Fixed – awaiting deployment (Update 6 / maintenance).

Improved surface texture detail, improved Ice materials, increased volcanism, improved lighting.

Reduced blackout intersections and implemented a new collision detection system.

Further improvements and optimisations have been made which will be deployed in Update 6.

Fixed for release in Update 6.

A much requested community feature.

Further defence turrets will be added to Conflict Zones with associated on foot gameplay.

Expanding mission features for Odyssey to increase mission diversity.

Fixes the tracking of first time trading in commodity or black markets, aiding progress towards unlocking Engineers.

Fixed erroneous numbers in weapon engineering recipes affecting weapon performance.

Removed ingredients that were not required in certain weapon engineering recipes.

Commodities that are temporarily illegal because of an active Faction State can now be sold to stations that need them for repairs.

Rebalanced the faction influence effects from repeatedly winning & losing various scenarios at Installations & Megaships.

Fixed an issue caused by older missions conflicting with the latest update, resulting in missing HUD objectives.

Missions to take out settlement occupants will now register progress correctly.

Fixed an issue with Players rarely not being able to load into Horizons after playing Odyssey.

Adjusted Mercenary rank progression speed for Odyssey on foot players.

Restoration missions will no longer be incompletable when putting out fires.

Fixed a crash caused by missions that would send you to non-settlement locations.

Missions to steal data from settlements will now display objectives on your HUD and the data will be available as intended.

Salvage missions now display objectives on your HUD and items can now be found at salvage sites.

Audio issues with the grenade timer and pin pull have been fixed.

Terrain fidelity has been enhanced on legacy settlements and planet ports.

Lighting improvements made for all ship and fighter cockpits.

Corrected helmet state for AI spawned by different clients.

AI crime scanning behavior has been made more lenient.

Resolved issues where AI could become stuck if unable to navigate to one another.

Resolved a softlock issue that occurred during multicrew hyperspace transitions.

Improvements made to the mix of combat sounds for better audibility.

Stability improvements made to missions for a smoother experience.

Players now have a higher chance of finding rare materials at fumaroles.

FSD jump sound on NPC and other players' ships is now audible at all distances.

Multiple crash issues have been resolved, improving overall stability.

All ship cockpit lighting has been updated for better visuals.

Optimisations made to audio processing for improved performance.

Control point colors now appear consistently in multiplayer.

Resolved an exploit where players could jet pack away from scans without repercussions.

Improvements made to the user interface flow for outfitting.

Brightness of neutron stars has been adjusted for better visibility.

Scan position and warning status now reset correctly to prevent escalation issues.

All missions in Odyssey can now be shared with teammates, allowing for collaborative gameplay.

A fix for a softlock when entering the CMDR panel via the access UI has been implemented.

A moon has been reinstated in the Sharur system, which disappeared in Update 2.

A fix for the shuttle becoming stuck in a loop of docking requests at a hostile settlement.

The scope of the Manticore Oppressor is no longer obscured.

Some environmental assets were being culled incorrectly around the exterior of 2 specific buildings.

Chest, upper arm and shoulder suit parts were not appearing for female avatars.

A fix has been implemented to prevent a crash when selecting the current planet in the system map after scanning an organic.

Large sections of station hangars were being culled incorrectly.

Changes made to balance the effects of Odyssey missions on the Background Simulation to align with Horizons.

Resolved an issue where the loadout section of the role panel UI would persist above other sections.

Allowed UMA GPUs and some other memory-constrained graphics cards to use more system memory for graphics allocations.

Stability fixes for Horizons.

Fixed players receiving missions sending them to Colonia.

Fixed an issue with SRV datalink scanner incorrectly triggering a lethal response from settlements when in analysis mode.

Fixed a missing Codex image.

Fixed Apex Interstellar shuttles getting stuck in indefinite loops.

Fixed Shutdown missions triggering the 'leave the settlement' objective for all players in the instance.

Fixed an issue where the suit and weapon customization menus became unpopulated when switching between them.

Fixed the scarf from the Plainsman outfit obscuring the player's view when in a ship.

Further fix for the Orange Sidewinder error.

Custom control bindings will now use default settings.

Addressed overpowered damage issue.

Fixed issue with ship moving back to previous docked position.

Fix implemented to enable availability.

To prevent trespass on docking.

Item sold at Pioneer Supplies isn't cleared post purchase.

Occurs when switching between ED: Odyssey and ED: Horizons builds.

Allows disembarking on some hotter planets.

Players forced to re-log.

Players unable to exit ship at the end of the tutorial, forcing them to skip.

Players unable to enter the express lift to the hanger and their ship need to re-log.

Introduction of new immersive missions at ground level with combat challenges.

Players can now explore newly accessible planets with beautifully rendered light atmospheres.

Includes Tormentor, Intimidator, Oppressor, Executioner.

Elite Dangerous: Odyssey is now available, allowing players to explore planets and engage in new missions.

Includes crashes related to cargo bay and player deaths.

Reduced to 5 and 50 points, respectively.

Improved information on the death report screen.

Players can experience complete freedom in first person from a 'through your eyes' perspective.

Players can now meet new mission givers on foot at various ports.

Includes jump animations, weapon animations, and tool animations.

Increased to 3,000cr.

Includes fixes for muffled sounds, excessive landing pad noise, and various mix improvements.

Themes include Agricultural, Extraction, Industrial, Military, Research and Tourism.

Missions will not transfer between the two versions and their timers will count down independently.

Players in Horizons cannot form wings or crews with players in Odyssey and vice versa.

Background simulations including Powerplay, factions, commodity markets, and outfitting will be shared.

Crimes committed in Odyssey will transfer to the commander, while crimes in Horizons will stay with the vessel.

Certain conditions will require a Commander location reset when switching from Odyssey to Horizons.

Contents of Odyssey players’ backpacks and storage will only be available while playing Odyssey.

The next step in the vision for Elite Dangerous, introducing new exploration and combat features.

Only players who own Odyssey can land on planets with tenuous atmospheres.

CQC matchmaker will not place Horizons and Odyssey players together.

Online status of friends will be visible, but locations will show version differences.

All Elite Dangerous servers will be down for maintenance from 07:00 UTC for approximately 11 hours.

Odyssey Settlements will not appear in the system map or navigation panel for Horizons players.

Voice communications will not be available between Horizons and Odyssey.

Only Odyssey players will see first footfall tags.

Players will receive a default avatar and flight suit when switching back to Horizons.

ARX earned in Odyssey can be redeemed in Horizons and vice versa.

Odyssey uses different files to save configuration options compared to Horizons.

Squadrons can be managed and Fleet Carriers will function across both Horizons and Odyssey.

New organic species introduced for Odyssey will only be present in the codex while playing Odyssey.

Direct text messages can be sent between friends across both versions.

New suit livery items introduced with Odyssey will only be accessible in Odyssey.

All servers will be taken offline on 19 May for approximately 11 hours in preparation for the Odyssey launch.

The launch of the Odyssey expansion, marking the biggest update in Elite Dangerous history.

An update will allow Odyssey and Horizons players to reunite and play together on their respective platforms after the console launch.

Odyssey players gain access to new features including planetary improvements, enhanced lighting, and textures.

Odyssey owners can play with Horizons players by launching in Horizons mode, but will lose access to Odyssey features temporarily.

Horizons players will receive new graphical updates including planetary tech, lighting, and organics for free.

Horizons players cannot get out on foot or enter Odyssey’s tenuous atmospheres.

Enabled Fleet Carriers in the Alpha at an adjusted cost.

Further improved stability of the game.

Fixed an issue where terminals would lock the camera off-centre, allowing players to adjust the camera more freely.

Fixed an issue where a small number of players spawned outside the playable bubble.

NPCs should no longer mumble or be inaudible.

Includes Wing Missions, Powerplay, Tech Brokers, Search and Rescue contacts, and Research Station services contacts.

Items were not appearing correctly in players' inventories.

Resolved issue with organics displaying incorrectly.

Players can now use existing Commanders and ships in Odyssey.

Resolved issue when navigating the Black Market contact's UI using a keyboard.

Delivery times and costs for ship transportation have been reduced.

Apply and Cancel buttons are no longer partially cut off.

Resolved issue with the 'Complete Mission' button not working at station terminals.

Locations can now be selected without plotting a course.

Resolved issue with the Oculus Rift HMD not displaying Odyssey.

Resolved issues with mission hand-in not working for some mission types.

All stored ships captured in the snapshot will now be made available during the Alpha with reduced transportation time and cost.

The Alpha will now end on Wednesday 5 May at 08:00 UTC / 09:00 BST.

Console development for Elite Dangerous: Odyssey is ongoing with an Autumn release still on schedule.

Fleet Carriers owned by commanders will not transfer to Phase 4, but purchasing ability will be added.

Players who pre-order Odyssey will receive an exclusive Pioneer suit skin.

Feedback will continue to be collected during the upcoming alpha phase 4 leading up to the launch.

A snapshot of Commander profiles will be taken on April 23rd, including current ship and accumulated credits.

Phase 4 of the Odyssey Alpha is set to launch on April 28th, focusing on compatibility testing.

The PC version of Elite Dangerous: Odyssey will launch on May 19th.

Alpha servers will be down from April 26th to prepare for Phase 4 launch.

The manual reactions-based minigame for the Genetic Sampler will be removed, with automatic sampling to be implemented.

Fixed issue of players being ejected from a planet port after disembarking from their ship.

Planets being highlighted entirely in green by the Detailed Surface Scanner is a known issue that will be fixed by launch.

Initial improvement made to the DSS scanner when mapping planets for biologicals.

Several stability fixes implemented.

Biological heatmaps appear more visually accurate after planet surface mapping.

Fixed issue where planets turned fully green when mapped for biologicals without sources present.

Initial improvements made to the information displayed when using the DSS scanner.

Resolved an issue where some players received a 'Yellow Adder' error message after selling items to the bartender.

Enhanced usability of the quick item wheel for mouse controls.

Fixed an issue where some players received incorrect ILLEGAL notifications on pickup items.

Resolved an issue where some users could not access inventory from the item wheel while on foot.

Improvements made to 'Organics Sampling' based on player feedback.

Implemented several stability fixes to improve overall game performance.

Players were stuck in an aggressive pose

Crash occurred when both players were on foot

Main menu appeared much smaller when system map was open

In some cases, Data Delivery was not possible

Players couldn't access containers due to lack of authority level

Some missions were impossible to complete due to this issue

Experience of setting foot on a newly discovered planet

Passenger in multicrew would disconnect (Orange Sidewinder)

Skimmers would jitter around the screen

Players would move through the counter if sprinting

Fixed an issue where players could get stuck behind an 'invisible barrier' on a concourse.

More stability fixes implemented to address crashes and disconnects.

Fixed issue causing lower than expected combat bonds being awarded.

Balanced AI behaviour when they are searching for the player during stealth sections.

Several stability fixes implemented.

Fixed an issue where some players would have Phase 3 equipment in their inventory.

Fixed a possible exploit where players could get inside a social space with weapons.

Reverted controls and handling of SRVs back to Horizons.

Fixed an issue where some players could get stuck in a dropship without getting deployed into the Conflict Zone.

Fixed an issue where sometimes, conflict zones would not initiate correctly.

System map should now open at the correct speed.

Fixed issues where mission objectives would not clear or display correctly.

A Cobra ship with a multi-crew seat is free to every Commander.

Players can now engage in Conflict Zones while on foot.

Resolved graphical issues experienced when entering and leaving the local map on foot.

Changes made to crime detection and consequences for all activities.

Fixed an issue with suits briefly switching colour on player death.

Pressing escape after booking APEX will no longer leave players stuck.

New Commanders will start with 300,000 credits, added to existing Alpha Commanders’ balances.

Players will no longer receive fire damage through walls and ceilings.

Fixed an issue with players taking damage during dropship deployment.

Future updates will add a detention centre respawn loop for on-foot PvP scenarios.

Collection mission rewards have been adjusted based on player feedback.

Investigating incorrect assessment of NPC Threat levels and planning changes.

Addressing concerns about the travel time when using Apex Interstellar’s shuttle service.

Plans to update mission information to include distance from target locations.

Players sometimes did not receive the power regulator with new missions.

Planetary Tech, including geometry, will not be final until release, with potential color changes throughout Alpha phases.

Variety of local missions available from NPCs and mission boards.

VR implementations are not currently optimized and not ready for testing.

Players can explore on-foot in the Adityan system; the rest of the galaxy is permit locked.

Introduction of Apex Interstellar for travel within Elite Dangerous.

All players start with only a flight suit and pistol; combat missions are not recommended until the Maverick suit is purchased.

Players can create a new commander starting from scratch.

Players can use the Genetic Sampler tool to analyze organics.

Players can undertake missions including trading with settlements and POIs.

Players can purchase the Manticore Dominator combat suit in Phase Two.

Players will have access to new weapon sets.

Faction conflicts will be enabled in Phase Two.

Players can purchase the Supratech Artemis explorer suit in Phase Three.

Players can use Apex Interstellar for travel.

Players' Commanders will be included in the alpha.

Each participant in the Odyssey alpha will receive a new Commander.

Players can engage in salvage and collect/delivery missions.

Players can use carriers, ships, fighters, and SRVs in the alpha.

New player memorials have been introduced, featuring listening posts with epitaphs and names across various locations.

Players can purchase the Remlok Maverick scavenger suit.

Players will have access to Frontline Solutions.

The Elite Dangerous: Odyssey Alpha will be available for PC starting 29 March.

A new video showcasing a mission playthrough featuring a raid on a military outpost.

Introduction of a new approach for generating planetary surfaces in Elite Dangerous: Odyssey.

Introduction of a scatter system for more logical and varied rock placement on planetary surfaces.

New system allows for better detail representation from a distance and improved visual quality of vistas.

Atmospheric planets will feature visible weather effects such as wind and dust.

Improvements in lighting behavior with per-pixel lit particles and physically based materials.

Introduction of 'geomes' with varied biomes across atmospheric planets.

Rocky-ice planets will have a more distinct appearance with specific terrains and materials.

Volcanic regions will be accurately placed using the new scatter system.

The release for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One is targeted for autumn 2021.

Alpha access for PC players is planned for early spring 2021, allowing community feedback and user testing.

The full launch on PC is targeted for late spring 2021 following the Alpha phase.

Adjustments and changes have been made to the existing development roadmap due to the ongoing pandemic.