Here's How You Can Play The Elite Dangerous: Odyssey PC Alpha
The space exploration game Elite Dangerous is so massive that few gamers have achieved 100%, and now it's about to get bigger with the expansion Elite Dangerous: Odyssey. Frontier, the developer behind Elite Dangerous, delayed the anticipated expansion in late 2020, but now some fans can get early access with an Alpha test beginning March 29. The Alpha will be available on PC only and accessible via Steam, Epic Games, and the Frontier store. The full expansion will officially release on the Xbox and PS4 in Fall 2021.
Frontier shared a gameplay trailer for Elite Dangerous: Odyssey back in December 2020 set to the tune of David Bowie's "Space Oddity." Though the trailer didn't give away many details, it did reveal that Elite Dangerous: Odyssey will feature combat on foot, a huge departure from the game's previous emphasis on combat via ships. Now, players will be able to do battle first person shooter-style.
On the heels of its December reveal, Frontier released a new trailer showcasing even more details about Elite Dangerous: Odyssey, and fans might want to check it out before Alpha drops later this month.
How to gain access to the PC Alpha for Elite Dangerous: Odyssey
Frontier decided to release Elite Dangerous: Odyssey in phases, starting with a limited Alpha run for PC users. There's no special selection process for this wave of Alpha testers. Instead, Frontier has made the Deluxe Alpha Expansion available, allowing players to pay for access to the Alpha, and in some cases the game's soundtrack. Early access will set players back about $55.
Alpha players won't have immediate access to all the features the expansion has to offer. Instead, Frontier will introduce new content gradually, rolling out new features as gamers play and provide feedback on existing content. Fans who preorder the Elite Dangerous: Odyssey Deluxe Alpha Expansion or who are Lifetime Expansion Pass members will receive Alpha access.
In late Spring, Frontier plans to make Elite Dangerous: Odyssey available to all PC users, regardless of whether they have Alpha access or a special Lifetime Expansion Pass. Anyone who preorders the Elite Dangerous: Odyssey expansion on PC will be able to play the new content at that time. Later, in Fall 2021, Elite Dangerous: Odyssey will finally arrive on consoles, fine tuned from all of the Alpha testing completed by PC gamers.
Some fans aren't happy about Frontier's move to allow players to pay for the privilege of participating in Alpha testing, but Frontier has remained steadfast in its decision.
Elite Dangerous: Odyssey mission playthrough
Frontier released a video depicting a mission playthrough in Elite Dangerous: Odyssey to give fans a taste of the upcoming expansion's possibilities. The video showed a group of Commanders infiltrating an arms operation on foot, a new feature in Elite Dangerous: Odyssey.
The three commanders joined forces to deprive an enemy base of power, leaving them helpless. Though it didn't show the team suiting up for their mission, they all sported equipment specifically selected for the task. Each Commander deftly performed their role, soon leaving the enemy base powerless.
The video gave fans a more in-depth look at on-foot combat in Elite Dangerous: Odyssey, and provided a clear view of how a strategic mission might play out. It also served as a way to excite fans for the Alpha release of Elite Dangerous: Odyssey dropping in March 2021. While PS4 and Xbox players will have to wait a little longer to enjoy the new expansion, an Alpha version will give fans a front row seat to what they have to look forward to in the fall.