We've finally gotten some more details on the Elite Dangerous Fleet Carrier. Just over three months after its initial reveal, details about an open beta and more have been released.
If you haven't been keeping up with Elite Dangerous, you may have missed the announcement of the Fleet Carrier. This is a genuine game-changer in this galaxy-spanning space game. While there are many powerful ships available, this is exactly what it says on the tin: a massive carrier craft that lets you dock up to 16 starships. This is, for all intents and purposes, a mobile base.
The Fleet Carrier also happens to be tremendously expensive. I hope you've been saving up because it will cost you a cool five billion credits. (That's billion, with a B!) Each Elite Dangerous Fleet Carrier is individually owned by the player and has a massive jump range of 500 light-years.
These huge ships do much more than cart around your other craft, though. Commanders can upgrade them with repair docks, refueling stations, shipyards, and more. Owners can also set tariffs on goods traded via the Carrier to support the upkeep costs. You'll need the money, too — these hefty craft make use of a new fuel called Tritium.
The running costs will be such a major issue that commanders will have to carefully balance how they set things up. The press release detailing this new info doesn't state what happens if you fail to pay the bills, but it probably isn't anything good.
When is the Elite Dangerous Fleet Carrier Open Beta?
If you're keen on trying out this brand-new ship, there's good news! An open beta is on the way.
The first open beta will be open to PC players and will start on April 7, 2020. The second open beta will add Xbox One and PS4 players into the mix, taking place sometime in May. These brand-new ships will officially launch in the live game in June 2020.
For now, you can look forward to a livestream from Frontier Developments on their YouTube channel starting on April 2, 2020, at 1:00 PM.
What do you think of the Elite Dangerous Fleet Carrier? Do you think this massive new ship is worth its asking price? Let us know in the comments below!
