Elite Dangerous Fans Just Got Bad News
The long awaited Odyssey expansion for the space exploration title, Elite Dangerous, has just been delayed. Frontier, the developer behind the game, recently announced the disappointing news to fans in a letter on the game's official website. Frontier cited the COVID-19 pandemic as the main reason why it made this tough decision.
In the letter, Frontier explained that due to "the renewed lockdowns in 2021," the release schedule for the Odyssey expansion has been pushed back. While the company stated that its "PC plans have only been affected by a small amount," Frontier's "plans for the console release [of Odyssey] will unfortunately see a larger development shift." Frontier apologized for the delays, while also informing players that these decisions were not made lightly.
"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," Frontier wrote.
Frontier did offer players insight into an updated roadmap that includes a general timeframe of when fans can expect Odyssey releases for both PC and console owners. In early spring, Frontier explained that it plans on releasing an Alpha version of the Odyssey expansion for PC only. Frontier will be "taking a phased approach to [Odyssey's] Alpha" by slowly releasing new content in order to get high quality feedback from the community. Players who own an Elite Dangerous: Odyssey Deluxe Alpha and Lifetime Expansion Pass will be able to experience the Alpha version of the upcoming expansion. After the Alpha has been properly tested and prepared, Frontier plans on releasing the Odyssey update by late spring for PC users.
On the other hand, players who own Elite Dangerous on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 will have to hang tight. The console release for the Odyssey expansion has been delayed until Fall 2021. Frontier understood why players may be frustrated, but assured fans that the delay is being made in order to "ensure that the content being released on consoles meets the highest standards."
The Odyssey update for Elite Dangerous was first announced in June 2020 and was originally slated for an early 2021 release. The expansion promises players new planets to explore, tweaks to the games combat system, and even more features for players to get excited about. While the news of a delay is disappointing, players will still, at the very least, get to experience Odyssey this year. They'll just have to wait a bit longer than expected.
Elite Dangerous: Odyssey Capcom's Pragmata as another highly-anticipated title to receive a delay this week.