Frontier delays Elite Dangerous Odyssey on consoles to fix the PC version
"Please bear with us."
Frontier Developments has delayed Elite Dangerous' Odyssey update on consoles indefinitely to focus on fixing the PC version.
In a post on the Frontier forum, chief David Braben said the studio accepts the "frustration" players have had with the Odyssey expansion since it came out in May.
Odyssey, which finally gives players the much-requested ability to step outside their ships and stroll around the galaxy in first-person, was lambasted by players when it launched, quickly accruing a 'Mostly Negative' rating on Steam as purchasers highlighted performance issues, server outages, and a heap of bugs - despite Frontier having held a month-long paid alpha prior to launch, ostensibly to fix any glaring problems ahead of release.
A raft of updates have been issued to try and sort out the problems, which has had the knock on effect of slowing development of Odyssey on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
"What's more, we can see that the strides we have made through the last five major updates are positive," Braben said, "but we must continue on with this progress to give the experience that you and we expect on PC."
And so, Frontier has now decided to "prioritise the core PC experience for Elite Dangerous".
"Ultimately, we believe it is right to focus our efforts on the core Elite Dangerous Odyssey experience for the platforms that we have released on, before opening up to more," Braben continued.
"We know that the work that we do to improve players' experiences of Elite Dangerous Odyssey on PC will benefit other platforms in the future, but the dates and details of the console platforms are going to change.
"We do not want to rush into confirming any dates or changes this has on our console release, as we must remain fully focused on the core Elite experience. Only when we feel that the foundation of the PC release is solid, will we be able to re-lay our console roadmap on top."
Following a coronavirus-related delay earlier this year, Odyssey was expected to arrive on PlayStation and Xbox some time this autumn. Clearly, this will now not happen.
Meanwhile, more game updates will be released for Elite Dangerous on PC over the coming months, and Frontier will continue to work on bug fixes and to improve performance, as well as add additional features, content and improvements, Braben said.
Braben also promised to improve communication with the Elite Dangerous community, with "open" monthly development updates where the team will discuss work-in-progress content and challenges.
"We know that the previous levels of detail for the roadmap and developer update have not met expectations, but we are grateful for your patience while we shift and adjust plans, in the face of such clear feedback," Braben said.
Braben also appealed for calm from fans:
"Please remember that our team here at Frontier are working hard to support the game and our community. Behind every bug fix, design decision and community post is a person who cares a lot about giving our players the best possible experience. I would ask that everyone remains calm and respectful when sharing their thoughts and feedback.
"We all have the same goal and we will get there, together. Please bear with us."