Elite Dangerous: Odyssey expansion delayed with a new roadmap for PC and console release

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Consoles will see a "larger development shift"

Elite Dangerous: Odyssey
(Image credit: Frontier Developments)

The upcoming Elite Dangerous: Odyssey expansion has been delayed, developer Frontier Developments has announced. 

While the delay on PC has only been pushed back slightly and is expected to launch in late Spring 2021, the expansion for consoles will see a "larger development shift", with an autumn 2021 release date window. 

"2020 was a difficult year for many, but in spite of those challenges we are pleased with our progress towards what is a truly ambitious new era for the game. We’ve been delighted with the excitement and positive response to our development diaries, interviews, streams and trailers and want to thank all of you for your continued support," Frontier writes. 

"The ongoing impact of the pandemic however, including the renewed lockdowns in 2021, continues to put added pressure on our teams and ultimately our development timeline. We have therefore had to make the difficult decision to make some adjustments and changes to our existing development roadmap." 

As detailed in the new roadmap, an alpha of the expansion is set to release on PC in early Spring 2021, with no exact date revealed just yet. Taking a "phased approach" to the alpha, Frontier will be releasing new features and systems online throughout the test period to gain community feedback. More details about plans for the alpha is set to come closer to release. The full PC release will follow after the alpha and is expected to launch in late Spring 2021.  

Odyssey is currently set to arrive on PS4 and Xbox One in autumn 2021, with Frontier coming to the decision to push back the console launch further "after continued feedback, iterations, and balancing". 

"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," Frontier adds, "while also respecting realistic project deadlines for our teams during this difficult global situation."

The upcoming expansion is set to open up the world of Elite Dangerous like never before by adding on-foot planetary exploration and first-person combat.  

Heather Wald
Heather Wald
Evergreen Editor, Games

Heather Wald is the Evergreen Editor, Games at GamesRadar+. Her writing career began on a student-led magazine at Bath Spa University, where she earned a BA (Hons) in English literature. Heather landed her first role writing about tech and games for Stuff Magazine shortly after graduating with an MA in magazine journalism at Cardiff University. Now with almost seven years of experience working with GamesRadar+ on the features team, Heather helps to develop, maintain, and expand the evergreen features that exist on the site for games, as well as spearhead the Indie Spotlight series. You'll also see her contribute op-eds, interview-led features, and more. In her spare time, you'll likely find Heather tucking into RPGs and indie games, reading romance novels, and drinking lots of tea.