Releases and platforms

• Horizons will be released as a BETA on the PC week ending May 8th (so any time that week).
• The full update for both the core game and Horizons will ship in June.
• Horizons will be released for the first time on XBOX One in June with or shortly after the PC release.

For details of the Horizons content click here

Elite: Dangerous 1.6

Galaxy map

• Named bookmarks. Select a system and pick a name.
• Filter for political states of systems. War, Boom, Bust etc.

Visual changes

• Visual effects for weapons fire now scale with the class of weapon. Bigger gun = bigger flash.
• Improved graphical fidelity of asteroids in rocky and icy rings.

More weapons in larger classes

• Large multi-cannon (Class 3).
• Huge multi-cannon (Class 4).
• Huge beam laser (Class 4), which fires four beams in rapid cycle.
• Huge pulse-laser (Class 4).

Missiles

• Missiles are getting a small increase in shield damage and splash damage (which damages modules and hard-points).
• Missiles do not penetrate hull, so unless you target Power Generator, they will disable a ship rather than destroy it.
• Missile guidance has been improved.

NPC changes

• Improvements to skill level.
• Security ramming fixed.
• "Roll of death" fixed.
• Higher security systems now have stronger security response.
• NPCs can use Engineers modified weapons.
• NPCs will no longer keep approaching you about a mission.

Missions

• Missions are now affected by a system’s political state. i.e. war would generate weapons smuggling and assassination missions.
• Completing missions will build reputation with minor factions and will introduce you to higher people with that faction.
• Minor factions will now be represented by individuals with avatars.
• Pilot federation rank will determine who you deal with in a faction and how they behave towards you. Your reputation also influences who you deal with.
• Navy missions for Federation and Empire are being overhauled.
• Your reputation with a faction will be visible on the mission board.
• Criminal factions will offer more illegal missions than other factions, but all factions will offer some illegal missions.
• Difficulty and rewards for missions are affected by the CMDR’s rank. New players won’t be asked to assassinate an Elite Anaconda.
• Mission rewards won’t just be credits. In Horizons, you may receive materials needed for Engineer modifications. Other rewards are not yet revealed.
• Missions follow a new set of templates for 1.6/2.1 with branching and multi-part missions. This affects Naval Ascension missions as well.
• Mission branches will affect rewards. Mission timers may change on different mission branches and time may affect reward.
• A new rank of "cordial" has been added between Neutral and Friendly for factions.
• Missions may be given out in space by a faction representative.
• Mission brief will list any equipment required, such as interdictor or scanner.

Exploration

• Ships can now scan Nav beacons to get system map without a discovery scanner.
• Exploration data obtained in this way from Nav beacons cannot be sold.
• Unidentified Signal Sources are being changed.
• Nav beacons contact information on locations of salvage and other signal sources to assist missions.
• There is a new approach mechanic for Points of Interest.

Station outfitting

• A more graphical tiered interface.
• Statistics on each module.

Communications

• Stations now have a traffic controller who hails incoming ships.
• Each commander is addressed uniquely by the ship manufacturer and first three letters of their CMDR name. e.g. "Lakon Alpha Romeo India you have permission to dock"
• Hostile commanders will be warned that they will be fired upon.
• The voices used by stations vary around the galaxy.
• The communications inbox is used more. Mission related messages will appear in your inbox in super-cruise as well as normal space.
• New commanders will be given a welcome mission in their inbox. This is optional.

Small ships

• Thruster upgrades for Class 2 and 3 thrusters.
• This makes smaller ships faster.
• These will cost "in the low millions".

Mining

• Ice rings can now be mined.
• There will be ice mining missions.
• Ice rings contain new materials – some of which will be needed for Engineers