In this week’s Elite Dangerous update, the current community goal (CG) focused on hauling and inspired by the Panther Clipper has become the largest ever in the game’s history, with over 29,000 registered participants, surpassing the previous record of nearly 23,000. The CG involves delivering cargo to defend Earth from the final Thargoid Titan mothership, with rewards including special engineered cargo racks that are accessible even to players using free-to-access ships like the Type 9 and Imperial Cutter. Frontier has added additional reward tiers to keep the CG engaging and profitable, with cargo goods fetching a tenfold multiplier on their sell price.
The update also highlights some complexities in the game’s Background Simulation (BGS) and PowerPlay systems, which can lead to both positive and negative gameplay outcomes. A notable issue involves the engineer Heratani, who requires a rare commodity—Kamitra cigars—to unlock her services. However, due to recent PowerPlay control by Ashling Duval, who enforces a strict prohibition on all drugs, these cigars have become unavailable, effectively blocking access to Heratani’s engineering. This appears to be an unintended problem that Frontier is tracking.
On the positive side, there is a rare goods bonanza at Cheronovski City in the Naguri system, where Soonil relics, typically scarce rare commodities, are currently available in unusually large quantities. This presents a lucrative opportunity for players to earn substantial PowerPlay merits by trading these relics to their chosen powers, with potential returns of over 10,000 merits per run. Players are advised to manage quantities carefully due to diminishing returns, and the duration of this rare goods surge is uncertain.
Frontier also revealed the Lacon Type 11 Prospector, a new mining-focused ship, showcasing several interesting design features. The ship has hydraulic piston-supported engine nacelles that likely retract for landing on medium pads, and multiple shuttered doors that suggest specialized mining functions such as refinery bin access and auxiliary vehicle bays. The Prospector appears to support multiple crew members and may rely more on ship-launched fighters for defense rather than traditional hardpoints, emphasizing its dedicated mining role.
Finally, Frontier announced that the Type 11 Prospector will introduce a new type of mining using its large asymmetric front-facing hardpoint, although this feature is separate from another new mining mechanic planned for later in the year. The community is encouraged to share their experiences with the engineer unlocking issue and their thoughts on the Prospector’s design. The video concludes with a promise of more updates soon and a reminder to commanders to stay safe in the galaxy.
