Summary
- Elite Dangerous fans are accusing the game of adding pay-to-win ships.
- The community backlash has led to review bombing on Steam.
Outraged Elite Dangerous players accused studio Frontier Developments of adding pay-to-win items after it announced plans to sell its newest spaceships for premium currency. An upcoming patch for Elite Dangerous is expected to bring with it the first new ship type since the release of the Mamba and the Krait Phantom, which both hit the live servers back in December 2018. Unfortunately, many fans were displeased when developers revealed players would have to pay extra if they wanted to grab the latest ship at the earliest opportunity.
Fans of Elite Dangerous have at times jokingly referred to the space flight simulation game as a spreadsheet simulator for its intricate network of fleet management systems and evolving player-run economy. While some might be put off by the time it takes to learn and master Elite Dangerous' complex web of resources and supply chains, the title has carved itself a niche in the gaming sphere largely thanks to its incredibly complicated simulation of a spacefaring era's galaxy-spanning economy. As can be expected from such an intricate system, it's common to see players who sink hundreds of hours into farming the game's credits to upgrade their fleet, with some ships valued up to hundreds of millions of in-game currency when combined with the cost of necessary upgrades and modifications.
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Many of these veteran pilots were outraged when Frontier Developments announced plans for what they believed were pay-to-win spacecraft, allowing players to skip dozens of hours of grinding required to buy and outfit just one of Elite Dangerous' many ships. Specifically, most users were critical of the studio's monetization of the upcoming Python Mk 2 ship, which will temporarily only be available for purchase with ARX when it releases on May 7, 2024. Many saw this as a betrayal by Frontier Developments, with several users pointing to a statement from 2019, wherein the studio promised ARX would only be usable for cosmetic purchases.
Fans Review Bomb Elite Dangerous' Steam Page
The community's criticisms have since spread to several online platforms. Most notably, the Steam page for Elite Dangerous received similar discontent opinions from its player base. While all-time reviews hover at "Mostly Positive," the recent reviews score has fallen to "Mixed" at 66%, with many veteran players expressing their disappointment with the changes to Elite Dangerous' space-merchant simulation fantasy.
It's difficult to say how the introduction of easy-to-purchase ships will affect Elite Dangerous' delicate economy or how the new monetization system might further disrupt the overall balance of the game. Aside from providing a way to sidestep hours of grinding, it can also be argued that premium ships might unintentionally hamstring new players, considering it might rob them of the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the mechanics behind navigating the complex simulated supply chain of Elite Dangerous and only serve to cripple them in the long run.
Elite Dangerous
- Released
- December 16, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
Elite Dangerous is the definitive massively multiplayer space epic, bringing gaming’s original open world adventure to the modern generation with a connected galaxy, evolving narrative and the entirety of the Milky Way re-created at its full galactic proportions.
Starting with only a small starship and a few credits, players do whatever it takes to earn the skill, knowledge, wealth and power to survive in a futuristic cutthroat galaxy and to stand among the ranks of the iconic Elite. In an age of galactic superpowers and interstellar war, every player’s story influences the unique connected gaming experience and handcrafted evolving narrative. Governments fall, battles are lost and won, and humanity’s frontier is reshaped, all by players’ actions.
- Developer(s)
- Frontier Developments
- Publisher(s)
- Frontier Developments
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4
- Genre(s)
- Flight Simulator
