If you’re down with Elite lore, then you’ll already know about The Thargoids. If not, then well, you’ll soon be meeting up with them!
Frontier Developments have today announced that Elite Dangerous: Horizons 2.4 will see the return of the Thargoids as the fifth update for Dangerous continues an ongoing story arc.
Every since its release, Elite Dangerous players have scoured the vast Milky Way as tensions between the Empire, Federation and Alliance have risen. With each new discovery of artefacts, probes and relics of unknown origin, players drew one step closer to the return of a long-lost enemy. Now, in 2017, they will bring new threats to the galaxy.
Thargoid history dates back to 1984, when David Braben and Ian Bell created gaming’s original open-world space adventure: Elite. The Thargoids’ eight-sided craft became an iconic threat, challenging even the galaxy’s most Elite Commanders. From there, their story is a long one, unfolding during the events of Frontier: Elite II and Frontier: First Encounters, as well as in Elite’s published fiction. Events in Elite Dangerous take place over fifty years since those in Frontier: First Encounters, and today the facts about the Thargoids have been swamped by stories, myths and legends. It has been unclear what is true and what is an elaborate conspiracy theory… Until now.
Elite Dangerous: Horizons 2.4 – The Return will continue the Horizons season with further story events that will see pilots thrust into battle against the Thargoids for the first time in years. Whilst more will be revealed in the coming months, you can be sure that you will be forced to develop new tactics and technologies of their own, or see humanity’s grip on our sectors of the galaxy recede.
‘The Return will be a dramatic ongoing event for the Elite Dangerous galaxy,’ says Elite co-creator and Frontier CEO, David Braben. ‘Story events have hinted at the Thargoids’ return for a long time, but the Thargoids are returning at a moment when humanity is at its most divided. The Federation and Empire are at each other’s throats, a second tiny human-occupied bubble has scattered humanity’s greatest pilots, and Thargoid scout ships are drawing near. They have already probed our space, infiltrated our starports and found humanity to be vulnerable. What happens next will be decided by every Elite Dangerous player.’
Elite Dangerous: Horizons 2.4 – The Return will arrive on Xbox One, PS4 and PC in Q3 2017.
