Elite Dangerous
A 1:1 scale Milky Way with spaceflight, combat, and on-foot exploration.
Elite Dangerous is a massively multiplayer online space simulation game developed and published by Frontier Developments. It features a 1:1 scale open-world representation of the Milky Way with procedurally generated star systems, and combines space trading, exploration, and combat with first-person on-foot gameplay. The game is notable for being the first in the Elite series to include massively multiplayer elements and player-driven narrative impact on a persistent universe.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Frontier Developments
- Engine
- Cobra
- Released
- Windows
- 16 December 2014
- macOS
- 12 May 2015
- Xbox One
- 6 October 2015
- PlayStation 4
- 27 June 2017
- Genre
- Space trading and combat
- First-person shooter
- Immersive sim
- MMO
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Director
- David Braben (former); Piers Jackson (current)
- Producer
- Adam Woods (former)
- Gauthier Verquerre
- Michael Brookes (former)
- Programmer
- Dominic Corner
- Igor Terentjev
- Kay Ross (former)
- Mark Allen
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Elite Dangerous combines elements of space simulators, first-person shooters, and massively multiplayer games within a persistent galaxy modeled on the Milky Way. Players choose from three modes: Solo (single-player), Private Group (invite-only), and Open Play (full multiplayer). The game begins in the year 3300, set 1,286 years in the future and synced with UTC. Players start with a spaceship and a small amount of credits, engaging in activities such as trading, mining, exploration, exobiology, passenger transport, smuggling, bounty hunting, piracy, and assassination. The Odyssey expansion, released on 19 May 2021, introduced first-person on-foot gameplay, allowing players to collect genetic samples of alien flora, engage in first-person shooter combat, and socialize in station concourses. System Colonisation, added as a free update in beta on 26 February 2025 and fully released on 11 November 2025, lets players claim uninhabited star systems, build colonies, and shape economies. Open Play permits actions that would be considered griefing in other games, provided they do not violate the terms of service; mob persecution, exploit abuse, or obscene language may result in a server ban.
Synopsis
Set in the 34th century, 50 years after Frontier: First Encounters, Elite Dangerous begins in the year 3300. Humanity is expanding from the Core Systems into the unpopulated Milky Way. The Frameshift Drive, introduced by Sirius Corporation in 3297, enables ships to travel at over 2,000 times the speed of light within a star system, while hyperspace allows interstellar travel in seconds. Ships are affordable to the middle class, similar to 20th-century cars, and owning one opens career paths like mining, trading, and bounty hunting. Megacorporations employ entire nations and rule unchecked over large sections of the galaxy, while most star systems outside the Core are lawless. The only known sapient species are Humans and the insectoid Thargoids; the Guardians are believed extinct for 1–2 million years. As of 17 June 2026, 195,463,043 star systems have been catalogued, with 97,728,089 explored directly. On-demand anti-gravity technology does not exist; ships and stations use rotating rings for artificial gravity via centripetal force.
Development
At the 2011 Game Developers Conference, David Braben stated that Elite 4 was still in development, calling it 'a tragedy for it not to be.' The project struggled to secure funding due to the traditional publishing model's bias against games without recent predecessors, as space sims were unpopular at the time. Frontier Developments greenlit the project when no major space games had been released since Freelancer (2003). Development began in 2012 using Frontier's in-house Cobra engine, with the game having been a skunk-works background activity for some time. Braben discussed crowdfunding as a possible solution in April 2012, and a Kickstarter campaign launched on 5 November 2012, aiming to raise £1.25 million for a March 2014 release. The campaign reached its goal 48 hours before the deadline, raising £1,578,316 from 25,681 backers. Further funding via PayPal brought the total to £1.7 million by April 2014, and Braben reacquired the legal rights to the Elite franchise. The original development budget was £8 million, but by September 2014 it had 'grown by quite a lot.' On 14 November 2014, Braben announced the removal of the offline single-player mode, citing an inability to deliver an acceptable offline experience. A playable alpha was released to £200 backers in December 2013, a beta in May 2014, and a pre-release gamma build three weeks before launch.
Reception
Elite Dangerous received an aggregated score of 80/100 on Metacritic from 55 critics, indicating generally favorable reviews (84% positive). Chris Thursten of PC Gamer rated it 86/100, calling it 'potentially a classic' depending on Frontier's ability to build on 'broad but somewhat shallow foundations,' describing the experience as 'exhilarating excitement... contrasted with moments of emptiness, frustration, and boredom.' Dan Whitehead of Eurogamer gave it 8/10, calling it 'probably the most immersive and compelling recreation of deep space ever seen in gaming,' while noting some repetitive gameplay. Andy Kelly of GamesRadar gave it 4/5, calling it a 'compelling space sandbox' but felt the launch version was missing important multiplayer features. Roger Hargreaves of the Metro gave it 7/10, describing it as a 'solid start' yet to fulfill its potential. Rob Zacny of IGN called it 'one of the most enthralling and evocative space combat and trade sim games I've ever played' and 'also one of the most boring,' seeing the balance of peaks and valleys as fundamental to its identity. Lee Hutchinson of Ars Technica, reviewing a later version, said it was 'so damn good that it transcends its problems.' Joel Peterson of Destructoid gave the PlayStation 4 version 9/10, calling it 'a hallmark of excellence.' The removal of the offline mode on 14 November 2014 prompted complaints from customers who had backed the game expecting offline play; Frontier offered refunds to those who had pre-ordered without playing, with later refunds judged on a case-by-case basis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who directed Elite Dangerous?
Elite Dangerous was directed by David Braben (former) and Piers Jackson (current).
Who composed the music for Elite Dangerous?
The music for Elite Dangerous was composed by Dan Millidge, Erasmus Talbot and Jim Croft.
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