The recent Elite Dangerous update celebrates the successful inaugural Drakhyr Rally and introduces expanded cartoon-style ship artwork, while announcing the upcoming Vanguards update on August 19th, 2025, which will bring major enhancements to squadron gameplay including a new Squadron Carrier and improved communication tools. The video encourages community engagement and promises to enrich social and operational aspects of the game, making squadron play more rewarding and accessible.
The recent Witchspace News update for Elite Dangerous highlights the tremendous success of the inaugural Drakhyr Rally, a challenging 260km SRV race hosted by Alec Turner and the Buckyball Racing Club. The event was so well-received that plans are underway to make it an annual occurrence, with ideas for a smaller Christmas Rally also being considered. Individual and team winners were celebrated, with CMDR Shaye Blackwood taking first place individually and the Elite Racers winning the team category. Special recognition was given to streamer CMDR Wacko, who completed the rally in over 14 hours despite multiple setbacks, showcasing remarkable determination.
In other news, a comprehensive library of Elite Dangerous cartoon-style ship artwork has been updated to include all new ships, including the unreleased Type 11 Prospector. This collection, curated by CMDR Qohen Leth and shared via Reddit, offers vectorized and stylized images perfect for personal use such as artwork, Discord avatars, or forum signatures. Additionally, a coloring book featuring these ships is available, aimed at engaging fans and potentially converting newcomers to the game through a creative and fun medium.
Frontier has announced the release date for the upcoming free update, Vanguards, set for Tuesday, August 19th, 2025. While detailed patch notes are pending, the update’s highlight is the introduction of a massive Squadron Carrier vessel, which will serve as a base of operations and mass transportation system for squadrons. A key feature of this carrier is the “bank” or treasury, allowing squadron members to store and share resources, items, and ships, though engineered ships will not be included in the shared inventory, a decision that has sparked some controversy.
Beyond the carrier, Vanguards represents a significant overhaul of the squadron system, adding updated ranks, permissions, perks, leaderboards, and customization options like logos and decals. One of the most anticipated improvements is the revamped squadron communication tools, including a persistent squadron feed and bulletin board to better facilitate information sharing and coordination within squads. These enhancements aim to support squad leaders, encourage more cohesive gameplay among squad members, and reduce reliance on external communication platforms like Discord.
The video concludes by inviting the community to share their experiences with the Drakhyr Rally, thoughts on the new ship artwork, and which Vanguards features they find most exciting. The update promises to deepen the social and operational aspects of Elite Dangerous, making squadron play more rewarding and accessible. Viewers are encouraged to subscribe and support the channel for more Elite Dangerous content, with links to additional resources and the featured content creators provided in the video description.