'Elite Dangerous: Beyond' Open Beta to Start on Jan. 25
"Elite Dangerous" fans will be getting the first open beta this year, and it starts on Thursday, Jan. 25. Less than a week from now, PC and Mac players will have a limited chance to try out the new "Beyond" update for free, with or without the game's "Horizons" DLC.
"Today we're pleased to announce that you'll be able to test Chapter 1 of the series in the open beta coming to all PC Elite Dangerous and Elite Dangerous: Horizons players on Thursday 25 January!" Edward Lewis, a Senior Community Manager for Frontier, announced through a forum update on Friday, Jan. 12.
In contrast to the "Elite Dangerous: Horizons" DLC, which came out as a premium, paid expansion for the game, the upcoming "Beyond" update will be a set of free content updates. Most of these will also address some quality of life improvements that players have been clamoring for since "Elite Dangerous" first came out.
Also unlike "Horizons," the "Beyond" update will come via smaller chunks, as Frontier announced at their expo event in London last year. The developer will be delivering "Elite Dangerous: Beyond" in four parts, or chapters, with Chapter One being previewed in the open beta this Jan. 25, according to Euro Gamer.
"These beta tests have always been an incredibly useful and valuable part of development, and Beyond Chapter 1 will be no exception," Lewis explained. He also added that since the "Beyond" update will feature a very long list of core feature enhancements as well as other new improvements, they want to cast a wide net as possible by including all PC and Mac players, whether they have the "Horizons" expansion or not.
The video below is the announcement trailer for the upcoming "Elite Dangerous: Beyond" Chapter One beta with a hangar teaser of the new Alliance Chieftain spacecraft.
