Frontier Developments today launched Elite: Dangerous, the fourth game in the groundbreaking, genre-defining Elite series.
Elite: Dangerous is the fourth in the Elite series of games, following on from the seminal 1984 Elite, developed by David Braben and Ian Bell, 1993’s Frontier: Elite 2, and 1995’s Frontier: First Encounters.
Elite: Dangerous was crowdfunded via Kickstarter and Frontier Developments’ own website, beginning in November 2012. Throughout 2014, backers have had access to the game’s Alpha, Beta and Gamma stages.
The story begins today with the Empire in disarray. The Emperor is sick and a bitter fight for succession has already begun. The Federation has a weak President, and some frontier States are looking to leave it.
Players are free to throw themselves into the story wholeheartedly, participate a little, or not at all. How players choose to respond will directly affect the outcome of the current events, and the unfolding story beyond.
Elite: Dangerous is available now at elitedangerous.com/store for £39.99 ($59.99, €49.99).
Race to Elite
Since 1984, players have aspired to be called Elite. In 1984 only the greatest combat pilots were known by the prestigious title.
Today in Elite: Dangerous, Elite status is awarded as recognition for total mastery in either combat, trading or exploration, with the best of the best aspiring to become Elite in all three.
For most, the journey to Elite will be a long one. For some, it will become a race.
Frontier Developments is offering a separate £1,000 cash prize to the first player who attains Elite status for each of combat, trading and exploration, and a further £10,000 prize for the first player to attain the coveted Triple Elite status for total mastery of all three. Players choosing to claim one of the £1,000 cash prizes will make them ineligible for the ‘triple’ prize, though one player could get more than one of the £1,000 prizes.
For further details and rules of the competition, visit the Elite: Dangerous forum thread on the competition here
About Elite: Dangerous
Take control of your own starship in a cutthroat galaxy.
In the year 3300, across the vast expanse of an epic, full-scale recreation of our Milky Way, interstellar rivalries flare as galactic superpowers fight proxy wars.
Some may know you as an ally; others will call you a pirate, a bounty hunter, a smuggler, an explorer, an assassin, a hero… Fly alone or with friends, fight for a cause or go it alone; your actions change the galaxy around you in an ever unfolding story.
Start with a small starship and a few credits, and do whatever it takes to get the skill, knowledge, wealth and power to stand among the ranks of the Elite.
400 Billion Star Systems. Infinite Freedom. Blaze Your Own Trail.