There’s some pretty big news coming out of Elite: Dangerous. When Update 14 arrives, the game will effectively be broken up into two different modes known as live mode and legacy mode, separating the incoming 4.0 version and the previously released 3.8 version respectively. It’s kind of like Nintendo Cereal and just as weird.
In live mode, players will continue to experience the ongoing Aftermath saga and all of the new content and events that Frontier Developments has planned. Incidentally, Update 14’s release will allow Odyssey players to select either Horizons or Odyssey mode within live mode to ensure friends can stay together. As for legacy mode, that will remain locked in the 3.8 version’s feature set, with no new community goals or narrative updates but a retained ability to affect the background simulation for both versions.
On the subject of Update 14, that has gotten a release date of Tuesday, November 29th. The new update is bringing with it an all-new Thargoid interceptor with unique characteristics, upgrades to anti-xeno weaponry, and more payout for xenobiology. FDev has even hinted at what lies in wait for Updates 15 and 16, promising that both will offer “new content and gameplay mechanics linked to the unfolding events in the galaxy.”
This announcement does have an effect on console players who are perhaps waiting on using the console copying portal that opened in September: Update 14’s release will close the service until the first quarter of next year as a result of legacy mode affecting what data can be copied. In addition, when the portal does reopen, it will not be as comprehensive as it was before, copying over what is deemed as “essential” character progression data, so if you’re on the fence about making the move to PC, it sounds like you need to decide quicker than expected.
