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Cambridge, UK. December 1, 2015. Frontier Developments plc (AIM: FDEV) today launched the Elite Dangerous: Horizons beta test for PC.

Elite Dangerous: Horizons is the new season of major gameplay expansions for the award-winning space epic Elite Dangerous, beginning this Holiday with Planetary Landings on 1:1 scale worlds. Elite Dangerous: Horizons will introduce further major gameplay features as the season continues into 2016, enriching the Elite Dangerousexperience with new activities and new ways to play.

In today’s Planetary Landings beta, players can explore epic, accurately simulated planets and moons throughout Elite Dangerous’ full scale re-creation of our Milky Way. Each of these life-sized worlds offer incredible vistas and new gameplay opportunities as players discover valuable resources, experience deadly combat encounters, raid bases, scout crash sites and cooperate with other players, both on the planet surface and flying high above.

Players can journey from space to surface for the first time in Elite Dangerous, coasting over mountaintops in their spacecraft, diving into canyons and venturing out on the ground in the new Scarab SRV wheeled vehicle, alone or with friends, all without loading screens or breaks in gameplay. Planetary Landings is an entirely new way to play Elite Dangerous, and is just the first of the Horizons season of expansions

Planetary Landings in Elite Dangerous is the closest most of us will ever come to visiting other worlds, and it’s just the beginning of Horizons’ new season of gameplay expansions,” Frontier Developments CEO David Braben said. “There is so much new gameplay to experience, new things to discover, and new ways to bring our amazing community together. It’s also a great technical achievement for our incredible team, using cutting edge technology to create realistic simulated worlds and add to the enormous depth and richness of the Elite Dangerous galaxy.”

Elite Dangerous: Horizons launches this Holiday with the first expansion Planetary Landings and continues into 2016 with further expansions including new missions, new ships, new Close Quarter Combat (CQC) arenas and massive new features dedicated to gameplay, community, and narrative, including:

  • Loot and Crafting, unlocking a world of customization options and adding new value and meaning to every action.
  • Multicrew, allowing teams of players to assume roles aboard the same ship.
  • Commander Creation, giving a unique appearance to players’ in-game avatars.
  • Ship-Launched Fighters, allowing larger spacecraft to carry their own short-range fighter ships for attack and defense.

All Elite Dangerous and Elite Dangerous: Horizons players will retain their progress and continue to fly together in the same galaxy as one community, and all Elite Dangerous players will continue to receive free updates, fixes and optimizations as the game evolves alongside Elite Dangerous: Horizons.

The Elite Dangerous: Horizons beta for PC is available now at FrontierStore.net for £49.99 (€67.99, $74.99), with beta and full access to every Elite Dangerous: Horizonsexpansion available throughout Elite Dangerous: Horizons season.

Elite Dangerous: Horizons will launch soon for PC, and is available for pre-order now atFrontierStore.net for £39.99 (€49.99, $59.99). An entire season of gameplay expansions for one price.

Existing Elite Dangerous players who pre-order either the beta or standard edition will receive a £10 (€14, $15) loyalty discount off the retail price and will unlock the exclusive ‘Cobra Mk IV’ spacecraft in Elite Dangerous: Horizons.

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Jerry Paxton

A long-time fan and reveler of all things Geek, I am also the Editor-in-Chief and Founder of GamingShogun.com