The stumble-filled launch and subsequent slow rebuild of Elite: Dangerous’ Odyssey expansion has been noted by Frontier Developments as part of the company’s 2021 annual report and accounts presentation, with the studio remarking on Odyssey’s effect on the game’s community as well as its revenue.
“In May 2021 we released our most ambitious expansion to date for Elite Dangerous, Elite Dangerous: Odyssey, which generated launch revenues on PC in that month. The overall reception to this major content update has been disappointing, but we are confident that as we improve and enhance the Odyssey experience we will see more and more Commanders engaging with the expansion.”
The report also states that engagement with players is “gradually improving” and the studio expects that “more and more players will upgrade to Odyssey over time as [the studio continues] to improve and refine the experience.”
Overall the report expects revenues between £100 million and £130 million for the next 12 months, which is a lowered forecast from the £130 million to £150 million projected in the annual report from September. The studio also notes the slower than expected reception to park management game Jurassic World Evolution 2, which faced a “more crowded release window than expected” thanks to releases like Forza Horizon 5, Football Manager 2022, and another edition of Skyrim.
