Elite Dangerous: Odyssey Expansion Delayed on PC and Console

Frontier Developments has revealed that Elite Dangerous: Odyssey has been delayed due to the impact of COVID-19, with console versions in particular seeing a major pushback. The expansion, which lets players touch down on and explore planets on-foot, was originally slated to launch in early 2021 on PC and console, but this has had to be pushed back to later in the year. PC players who have pre-purchased Elite Dangerous: Odyssey Deluxe Alpha Expansion or hold a Lifetime Expansion Pass will get access to the Odyssey Alpha in early Spring 2021 to test the game ahead of its PC launch in late Spring 2021. The game will then launch on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in Autumn 2021, following feedback and iteration in the wake of the PC release. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/03/elite-dangerous-odyssey-announcement-trailer"] "The ongoing impact of the pandemic ... including the renewed lockdowns in 2021, continues to put added pressure on our teams and ultimately our development timeline," Frontier's statement reads. "We have therefore had to make the difficult decision to make some adjustments and changes to our existing development roadmap." "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, while also respecting realistic project deadlines for our teams during this difficult global situation," Frontier notes. For more on Elite Dangerous: Odyssey, check out our interview with Frontier about how the developer is not finished with space exploration just yet. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.