In this Witchspace News update, Commander Burr covers Frontier Developments’ removal of the blue teleportation boarding circles to enhance immersion, the community-driven Rhino surface mining guide, and the problematic community goal that led to an economic exploit and subsequent nerf. Despite initial setbacks and controversy around the Rhino’s release and associated events, Frontier responded with apologies and adjustments, while players remain engaged and hopeful for future improvements in Elite Dangerous.
In this edition of Witchspace News dated September 11, 2026, Commander Burr discusses several updates and community reactions within Elite Dangerous. A notable change is the removal of the immersion-breaking blue teleportation tunnel from the Panther Clipper, a feature that has been a longstanding joke since the Odyssey expansion’s 2021 launch. This change, along with other subtle improvements in ship boarding like the Imperial Cutter, Lynx Highliner, and Nomad, hints at Frontier Developments possibly moving toward more immersive ship interiors, though caution is advised given past unmet community expectations.
The introduction of the Rhino surface mining vehicle has sparked significant interest and some controversy. To help players optimize their surface mining efforts, a comprehensive and data-driven guide has been created by the community, detailing prospecting methods, mining rig placement, and production rates. This guide aims to reduce guesswork and provide tested strategies for the newest profession in the game, reflecting the community’s dedication to mastering new gameplay mechanics.
Frontier Developments launched a community goal (CG) alongside the Rhino’s release, featuring both surface and space components to promote the new vehicle. However, issues quickly arose due to communication errors in the CG description and an economic exploit where players bypassed mining by purchasing commodities cheaply elsewhere and selling them for massive profits at the CG location. This led to a rapid inflation of credits and backlash from the community, forcing Frontier to reduce the price multipliers drastically.
In response to the controversy, Frontier apologized and introduced a follow-up hauling CG with a more balanced three times price multiplier to help players unload their stockpiled goods fairly. While this fix restored some goodwill, the initial missteps and perceived rushed nature of the Rhino release and CG tarnished the experience for some players. The video suggests that better planning and polish could have prevented these issues, especially in a year filled with numerous new game updates.
The video closes by inviting viewers to share their opinions on the removal of the blue boarding circles, their experiences with the Rhino surface mining vehicle, and whether they benefited from the initial credit bonanza before the nerf. Commander Burr signs off with anticipation for upcoming content, encouraging players to stay safe and engaged in the evolving galaxy of Elite Dangerous.
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