We Love It's Guide to…
Pilot a customizable starship across a simulated Milky Way, choosing your own path through exploration, trade, mining and combat.
Released 02 Apr 2015
Explore Uncharted Systems
Crack Asteroid Cores
Build a Trade Route
Take control of your own starship and blaze your trail in an ever-changing galaxy. Master the arts of combat, mining and trade or venture out into the unknown across a 1:1 scale universe.
Developed by Frontier Developments · Published by Frontier Developments
You are a pilot in a vast simulation of the Milky Way. With no central campaign directing your journey, you choose what kind of life to pursue among the stars and set your own goals.
Fly between star systems to explore and scan planets, trade cargo, mine asteroids, take missions, hunt bounties or fight other ships. You can also land on some worlds, explore on foot or by rover, and scan alien plant life.
Earn credits and reputation through your activities, then buy and customize ships and equipment for different roles. Play alone in Solo mode or encounter other players in Open Play; squadrons, shared events, faction politics and system colonisation offer ways to take part in a connected galaxy.
Players who enjoy Elite Dangerous often highlight the scale and atmosphere of its galaxy, the feel and sound of piloting ships, and the freedom to choose their own activities. Exploration, long journeys and the variety of careers are recurring draws, with some players also valuing squadron play and community-organised goals. These pleasures are not universal: some reviewers find the experience aimless or repetitive, and several say it takes time to learn and progress.
Discover the next chapter of the legendary Elite saga. Elite Dangerous is the definitive massively multiplayer space epic, bringing gaming’s original 1984 open world adventure to the modern generation with a seamless, connected galaxy, a player‑shaped evolving narrative, and the entire Milky Way recreated at full galactic scale.
Against this vast backdrop, take to the stars in your own starship and do whatever it takes to survive in an ever-changing futuristic galactic sandbox. Acquire wealth and power, develop your skills and knowledge, and earn the right to stand tall among the ranks of the iconic Elite.
In an age of galactic superpowers and interstellar war, your story influences the connected experience and handcrafted evolving narrative. From discovering new worlds, to exhilarating space combat and a fully-realised economy for trade, the galaxy is waiting.
The 400-billion star systems of the Milky Way form the vast and dynamic stage for Elite Dangerous' open-ended gameplay. Constructed using real astronomical data, the stars, planets, moons, asteroid belts, and black holes of our galaxy are rendered at true galactic scale. Chart a course through star systems never before visited by other Commanders and explore the surface of strange and unfamiliar worlds with a Surface Recon Vehicle.
Over 35 distinct spacecraft are ready for you to command, from lightweight exploration vessels to gigantic behemoths ready for battle. Build a diverse collection of ships and outfit them to match your playstyle. Customise every component, weapon and optional module to enhance and alter your ships’ capabilities.
Hunt, explore, fight, mine, smuggle and trade across the galaxy. Forge your path solo or with up to three friends in a Wing. Join a Squadron full of like-minded Commanders and share the highs and lows of your interstellar adventures together.
With the System Colonisation mechanic, the power to claim and expand your very own star systems is in your hands. Whether creating a thriving new economy, a bustling trade hub, or a new port of operations, the galaxy awaits your vision.
The Elite Dangerous galaxy revolves around players’ actions. In an age of galactic superpowers and interstellar war, every player’s personal story influences the space simulation and handcrafted, evolving narrative.
Co-operate with fellow Commanders in pivotal Community Goal events that can permanently alter the state of the galaxy, earning exclusive rewards and recognition for your contribution in the process.
Align with a galactic superpower and alter the interstellar landscape with Powerplay. Support your power or undermine a rival through a variety of means, from hacking starport advertisements to attacking gigantic Stronghold Carriers. Every contribution matters.
Experience unpredictable encounters with other players in a vast, massively multiplayer space. Experience the connected galaxy alone in Solo mode or with players across the world in Open Play, where every pilot you face could become a trusted ally or your deadliest enemy.
The universe of Elite Dangerous continues to grow and expand with new features and content. Regular major updates provide new opportunities and gameplay for you to discover and change the way you play.
| Platforms | Windows |
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| Age ratings |
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| Players | 1–4 |
| Play modes |
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| Other modes |
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| Multiplayer | Elite Dangerous supports solo play, private-group online play, and open online play in a shared connected galaxy. The official description states you can play alone, with up to three friends in a Wing, or join larger player organizations such as Squadrons. It includes both cooperative and competitive online interaction, and player actions affect the wider galaxy. |
| Multiplayer & mods | No multiplayer mod support is described in the provided text. Reviews mention version compatibility between Odyssey and Horizons affecting whether friends can play together. |
| Controller support | Xbox |
| Controller required | No |
| DLC / extras | 2 listed on Steam |
| DRM / EULA |
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| Content notices |
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| Metacritic | 80/100 View on Metacritic |
| Website | Official website |
