elite dangerous — Image courtesy Frontier Developments

‘Elite Dangerous’ is Going Free on Epic Games Store Starting Today

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Nov 19, 2020

Frontier Developments’ VR-compatible space sim Elite Dangerous (2014) is going free on the Epic Games Store this week.

Update (November 19th, 2020): Starting today, for the next week you’ll be able to grab and keep Elite Dangerous for free, which includes VR support for all SteamVR headsets.

It’s bound to go live any moment now, so make sure to update your Store launcher. If you’re not at home, you can always claim it on the Epic Games Store website, sign into your account, and download later.

Original Article (November 13th, 2020): Starting on Thursday, November 19th and going until the 26th, you’ll be able to download and keep Elite Dangerous for free. You can add it to your wishlist by clicking the heart symbol on the game’s store page.

This also includes one of the game’s biggest DLC packs, Horizons, which in 2015 brought to the space-faring simulator the ability to land and drive on the surface of planets, craft weapons, and participate in multicrew action. It’s been free on all platforms since late October, representing a load of previously-paid content now baked into the base game.

On PC, Elite Dangerous was one of the first truly massive space sims to offer VR support, letting users with SteamVR headsets pilot space ships through the game’s open-universe sandbox to fight, trade, cooperate, and mine. It was a great first ‘wow’ moment, and still is for anyone with a PC VR headset looking for immersion.

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With the free release of the game on Epic Games Store, Frontier is seemingly drumming up a new player base in preparation of their next big DLC launch, Odyssey, which brings first-person shooting action to the game.

Note: We learned last month that VR support for Odyssey will only be available when users fly down to planets and drive along planet surfaces in their vehicles. Leaving the ship to continue on foot will bring up a 2D projected flat game screen—a definite dampener on VR enjoyment of the DLC.

Still, if you haven’t picked up Elite Dangerous by now, next week is the perfect time to jump into one of the best, most expansive VR-compatible games out there. Bring your HOTAS, make sure to study your keybindings, and hunt for a Discord to help you with all of the complex, but admittedly awesome bits in between.

kuhpunkt

Got it a short while ago on Humble for $1. No thank you, Epic.
- Annalisa Zeman
  
  Get $192 of an hour from Google!… Yes this is true as I just got my first payout that was awesome since it was biggest amount of $38451 in a week…(f1237)…It seems un-believable but you won’t forgive yourself if you do not check it >>>> http://www.Jumpzoo.com |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- EliteForceCinema
  
  Yes. Fuck Epic Games! And fuck Unreal Engine! Valve, Steam, and Source 2 for life!!!!
  - kuhpunkt
    
    That’s besides the point.
- TechPassion
  
  What is your problem? I paid 20 EUR and don’t cry somebody gets it for free now.
  - kuhpunkt
    
    I don’t cry that somebody gets it for free. I’m just not a fan of Epic’s strategy and I’m not gonna take the bait.
    - DanDei
      
      NOBODY CARES
      - kuhpunkt
        
        AND YET YOU REPLIED
OOLuigiOo

Since when did the Epic store support VR?
- Rosko
  
  It just runs through steam vr.
Andrew Jakobs

Hmmm, that’s a shame for no VR support on the fps part on the planet, hope they will add it soon.
- Iraida Clark
  
  Get $192 of an hour from Google!… Yes this is true as I just got my first payout that was awesome since it was biggest amount of $38451 in a week…(o1705)…It seems un-believable but you won’t forgive yourself if you do not check it >>>> http://www.LifestylesLinks.com |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- Ron
  
  Me too, but VERY happy they at least got everything else in VR.
- Golgot
  
  If you’re interested in pushing for very basic VR Legs at launch, there’s a thread running on the official Suggestion forum here:
  
  Allow the VR ‘2D screen’ to be disabled
Wild Dog

Well, at-least I didn’t buy the DLC.
Tom Price

I’ve had horrible luck with Elite… the login is buggy, I the HOTAS never worked with the game… it just sucks when you want to boot up and play… I think I got this free when I purchased the Vive and could never get it to work well… such a bummer.
- Raphael
  
  Which HOTAS? I used my saitek x52 pro with it for years and now warthog without issue.Not had issues logging in.
- malanar11
  
  Hotas X here, no problem.
- dextrovix
  
  Works with Saitek X52 for me. Signing into the game isn’t a challenge either.
- Ron
  
  Gonna have to call user error here.
EliteForceCinema

Fuck Epic Games! And fuck Unreal Engine! Valve, Steam, and Source 2 for life!!!!
- Raphael
  
  Preteen much?
Charleston

I’m getting really tired of games I buy for full or close to full price going for free on epic weeks, months, a couple years later.

I play tons of elite dangerous so I’ve already gotten my money’s worth but it’s slightly disappointing to see nothing come back my way. They could at least give everyone who purchased in the past something but that’ll never happen.
- TechPassion
  
  Bad thinkng. You paid, so others should pay too even months later…because you paid? What’s your problem? You buy and play, enjoy the game. Do not be jaelous somebody might get it later for free. It is sick attitude.
  - Charleston
    
    I’m more talking about buying a game and it getting thrown up for free or getting a discount within days/weeks. This comment has nothing to do with elite, more so other games. I bought subnautica to play in vr and what happens not even 3 days later? It goes free on the epic games store. Same goes for many others.
    - TechPassion
      
      Doesn’t matter. Subnautica was an exception. I also paid for it. Elite is years on the market. With this move, more people will play it. Pavlov VR should be next. I also paid for it.
    - Andrew Jakobs
      
      That’s something that’s always possible, it’s also possible 3 days after you bought the game it could have a big discount. It’s not like it’s the newest games. And if you really bought it 3 days before it actually was free on Epic games store, you didn’t look at the store within the 7 days before it. I recall subnautica not being a mystery game, but it was announced at least a week before it actually was free..
    - Hivemind9000
      
      Here’s an idea. Don’t buy any games. Just wait for them to be free. You may have to wait years while everyone else has fun, but at least you won’t have to whine about it.
Oskar Fischer

not free at all
you need to buy the game first then you can use this “elevated” extra feature to have access to multiplayer
it kinda sucks to find out the hard way after downloading 20 GB
- Andrew Jakobs
  
  Huh? what are you talking about? Yeah Odysee will probably be paid DLC, but the rest of the game is free (including multiplayer).
Ragbone

How much will it cost?
Rupert Jung

If they just could fix the aliasing…
Niculae Mihail Antoniu

Its a problem with login i think , i got the game for free on Epic and when i try to login into the launcher of the game it says i have to buy the game ,wich i did from Epic store i have the recepit on my mail, what gives ?
samuel baniul

You can”t get out of the toutorial… no mouse support… use the keyboard.. locks up tight
Fisher

Managed to run the game, but it’s unplayable due to massive lagging. Running with a 2080S, other games don’t have any issues.
EliteForceCinema

Fuck Epic Games! And fuck Unreal Engine! Valve, Steam, and Source 2 for life!!!!!