Elite Dangerous Updates, Odyssey Delays, Woes Jurassic World Evolution 2 Sales, RTS Pushback

Frontier still has some kinks to iron out before the highly anticipated June launch of Elite Dangerous’ long-promised Fleet Carriers. And to aid in this process, the developer’s second beta test, which will be open to players on both consoles and PCs, is set to begin next Monday, May 11th.

Fleet Carriers, described as “mobile starships and trading hubs” that can accommodate up to 16 players, were initially planned to debut as part of the 2018 Beyond update but have endured numerous delays. Now, however, with one successful beta behind them, they’re finally on track to arrive next month on PC, Xbox One, and PS4.

Following the first PC-only beta, Frontier announced it had made significant changes to Fleet Carriers based on community feedback. One of the most notable was a whopping 85.5% reduction in upkeep and running costs for these new vessels – which could initially amount to as much as 25 million credits a week. Other tweaks included debt threshold adjustments and shorter jump preparation and cool-down times. Frontier also promised to add Universal Cartographics as an optional Fleet Carrier service and double Tritium fuel efficiency during beta two.

All of these changes will be ready for testing next week, and there are some previously unannounced adjustments on the way too. For instance, Fleet Carrier owners will be able to access shipyard and outfitting without activating the full, credit-draining services. Additionally, players will now receive a full refund when Fleet Carriers are decommissioned due to prolonged debt, although a certain static fee will be deducted for those who voluntarily decommission.

The second Fleet Carrier beta will run from May 11th to 26th, and those interested, whether on PC or consoles, can get more details on the developer’s website. It’s noted that the Fleet Carriers’ usual 5 billion credit purchase price will be reduced to 1 million credits for the beta testing purpose.

If all goes well, Fleet Carriers are set to enter the live game in June, likely being Elite Dangerous’ final major update of the year. On Friday, Frontier announced that its still-mysterious Next Era update, described as a “defining moment in the game’s history”, will no longer meet its anticipated December 2020 release date and will now arrive early next year.