Elite Dangerous' long-delayed Fleet Carriers finally due in June, PC beta starts next month Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Elite Dangerous' long-delayed Fleet Carriers finally due in June, PC beta starts next month Xbox and PS4 beta coming in May. News by Matt Wales Reporter Updated on 26 Mar 2020 21 comments Elite Dangerous' long-awaited 16-person Fleet Carriers, which have seen plentiful delays since their unveiling back in 2017, are finally almost ready to launch and will be entering a period of beta testing for PC players later this month. Fleet Carriers - which were initially set to arrive as part of 2018's Beyond update before they were "reprioritised" by developer Frontier - are capital ships designed to act as a base of operations for large, organised Squadrons Described as "mobile starships and trading hubs capable of transporting multiple allies", Fleet Carriers have a jump range of 500 light years and feature 16 landing pads to accommodate a full complement of players. They can be owned and piloted single Commander, but don't come cheap, setting players back an eye-watering 5,000,000,000 credits. Watch on YouTube Dedicated players that manage to scrape together sufficient space cash will be able to customise their mega-vessels to suit their preferred play style, and have the option to invest in and open services including repair docks, refuelling stations, shipyards, and more. Notably, Fleet Carriers introduce player-to-player commerce, enabling Carrier owners to set tariffs on all goods traded through onboard services. That money'll come in handy for covering weekly upkeep costs, ship maintenance, and crew wages, and to purchase Tritium, a new fuel commodity required to power megaships. Frontier stresses that it's vital for Fleet Carrier owners to plan and balance their finances in order to cover running costs, as persistent debt exceeding the debt threshold may see carriers decommissioned and sold for parts. So basically, don't stop playing Elite Dangerous, ever. Fleet Carriers are expected to finally go live on all platforms in June this year, but those wishing to experience them ahead of release (which sounds like it could be the only opportunity some players will have, given Fleet Carriers' spectacularly prohibitive costs), can join in Frontier's initial beta on 7th April. That's for PC players only, but a second beta, currently scheduled for May, will fling the doors open for Xbox One and PlayStation 4. More details will be shared on Frontier's special Fleet-Carrier-focussed livestream, which kicks off next Thursday, 2nd April at 6pm GMT/11am PST. Alongside work on Fleet Carriers, Frontier is currently preparing Elite Dangerous' mysterious next "major milestone" update for release in the latter half of this year, which it previously described as "a defining moment in the history of the game". Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 59 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 4 Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 11 Latest Articles Preview Football Manager's new Console edition is the best you'll get without a PC Getting Touch-right. Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 59 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 4 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store