Originally penned for early 2021, the Odyssey expansion for Elite Dangerous has been delayed to later this year. Folks can expect the upcoming expansion to hit PC in late spring, and the Xbox One and PS4 versions will go live in the fall.
“Our PC plans have only been affected by a small amount, however our plans for the console release will unfortunately see a larger development shift,” developer Frontier Developments wrote in a Steam blog post. “Please do know that these difficult decisions have been made with a focus on making Odyssey as incredible as it can possibly be for all our Commanders regardless of their platform, while also respecting realistic project deadlines for our teams during this difficult global situation.”
The difficult global situation being, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic. The studio writes that the ongoing impact of the pandemic and 2021’s renewed lockdowns has “put added pressure” on the team.
Ahead of Odyssey’s launch on PC, a pre-release alpha will go live in early spring. “Much like our original Elite Dangerous release, we will be taking a phased approach to our Alpha, bringing new features and systems online throughout the period,” Frontier writes. “This will allow us to focus and best consider our community feedback while also providing vital user testing on key areas of the game.” To participate in the alpha, you’ll need to be an Elite Dangerous: Odyssey Deluxe Alpha or Lifetime Expansion Pass holder.
Odyssey looks to be one of the biggest expansions that Elite Dangerous has ever received. The game has long existed as a spaceflight MMO, but Odyssey will allow players to finally move beyond the cockpit and explore certain planets on foot. For those who enjoy the virtual life and business side of the game, Odyssey will provide social hubs for face-to-face interactions. And for those looking forward to a good fight, Odyssey expands on Elite Dangerous’ battles as well, implementing new first-person shooter combat encounters.
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