Operations: Difference between revisions

'''Operations''' are multi-stage, variable challenge based scenarios.<ref name=":3" /> It's intended for a squad with up to 4 [[Commander|commanders]], solo is optional. The activities are [[On Foot|on foot]] in [[Megaship|megaships]] and with [[ships]] in space.<ref name=":0" /> The [[Elite Dangerous: Odyssey|Odyssey]] expansion is required. This major update launched on 30 June 2026.<ref name=":2">[https://www.elitedangerous.com/news/elite-dangerous-may-dev-log-2026 Elite Dangerous: May Dev Log 2026] - 26 May 2026 - Elite Dangerous website</ref>   

The scenarios take place on-foot, in space or both.<ref name=":0">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6kQYtfz1sk Elite Dangerous | Developer Log - 4 November 2025] - YouTube</ref> It's designed to offer you and up to 3 other commanders challenging obstacles to overcome.<ref name=":0" /> Explore some parts of ED never seen before such as the internals of a [[megaship]] in a hostile environment.<ref name=":0" />

The initial release has multiple operations, with more being added overtime, and at various difficulty levels.<ref name=":0" /> In the long-term you can expect some operations to revolve around combat, some around mining, and more elements of ED as the feature expands.<ref name=":0" /> Operations are repeatable and give you access to rewards that are hard to obtain elsewhere in the galaxy.<ref name=":0" />

 

The [[Operation Runner]] is a non-flyable, capital ship from which team members start an operation, respawn and extract.<ref name=":1">[https://www.elitedangerous.com/news/update-operations An Update On Operations] - Elite Dangerous website - 22 April 2026</ref>

The squad is instantly transported from lobby to the [[Operation Runner]]. This bypasses normal travel time and deploys you straight into the designated [[star system]].

The Runner acts as your central hub, respawn point, resupply vessel.<br>

Every operation starts and concludes on the Runner. Even for operation types where the combat part take place on-foot you have to launch in your ship from the Runner, fly to mission site, dock and disembark.<br>

It offers ship repairs, re-arming and refueling, all for free.<br>

If you need, you should always be able to leave the mission area in your ship, supercruise back to the Runner, dock and repair, re-arm and recharge your shield.

If '''your ship''' is destroyed during the operation, you will instantly respawn aboard the Runner with your ship fully repaired, refueled, and re-armed.<br>

If you are killed '''on-foot''', you will respawn inside a hangar where you disembarked from your ship into action. Eg. inside a megaship, where on-foot part of the operation takes place. You will have full health and will be resupplied.<br>

Respawns are unlimited. Deaths do not affect operation's success, score or rewards.

NPCs and their properties, like access level, are to an extent randomly generated. In some instances of the same Operation some gear may not be required to finish the objectives, while in other instances it will be. For example in Operation [[Operations#Biohazard Takedown|Biohazard Takedown]] an NPC with level 3 access may randomly appears, and if it's profile is cloned by one of the players Maveric suit is not required anymore to force-open doors to complete the mission. It is still advised to always bring all required gear anyway to not soft lock yourself.

For Operations with on-foot parts, having one of 3-4 team members in [[Maverick Suit|Maveric suit]] is always beneficial. There are always locked cabinets with [[Consumables]], and in some Operations optional locked doors.  

For the same reason, it is good idea for all team members to bring maximum amount of [[E-Breach|E-breach]] hacking devices, to force-open locked crates with [[Consumables]]. There is no downside as all NPCs are always hostile anyway and don't care about carried contraband. E-Breaches have to be manually added to backpack though, even on respawn after death.

Successful completion of the operation objectives yields rewards: Merc Coin, [[credits]] and both [[Materials|Ship Engineering materials]] and [[Engineers#Pilot_Equipment_Modifications|Personal equipment Engineering materials]].<br>

You can have a maximum of 9999 Merc Coin with a weekly allowance limit of 1000. This can be spent on special rewards like new special ship modules, new blueprints to engineer them further, and exclusive on-foot gear mods that are otherwise difficult to acquire in the [[galaxy]].

!On&nbsp;Foot / In&nbsp;Space

!Recommended Gear (Easy)  

!Recommended Gear (Hard)

|On Foot

|<nowiki>Grade 1/2 On Foot | A Rated Ship (No Engineering)</nowiki>

|<nowiki>Grade 4/5 On Foot | Grade 4/5 Engineering</nowiki>

|A Rated Ship (Two players in an evac ship, one in combat ship)

|<nowiki>Grade 5 On Foot | Grade 4/5 Engineering (Two players in an evac ship, one in combat ship)</nowiki>

|A Rated Ship (Two players in an evac ship)

|<nowiki>Grade 1/2 On Foot | A Rated Ship</nowiki>

|Grade 4/5 Engineering

|<nowiki>Grade 1/2 On Foot | A Rated Ship</nowiki>

|Grade 4/5 Engineering

|A Rated Ship (Low Level Engineering)

|Full Grade 5 Engineering

|

|

Required combat on foot only. Hostile ships are present; can be fought or evaded.

Whole operation in '''ships only'''. Hostile ships are present; can be fought or tanked and evaded.

* At least one [[Station#Damaged State|rescue]] capable ship - with Economy class [[Passenger Cabin|passenger cabins]]

Whole operation in '''ships only'''. Ship-to-ship combat is required.

'''Ship-to-ship''' combat is required. '''On foot''' combat inside megaship is required.

'''Ship-to-ship''' combat is required. '''On foot''' combat inside megaship is required.

Whole operation is '''ship-to-ship combat''' in space.

Required '''Ship-to-ship combat'''. Required '''On foot combat''' on planet surface in [[Settlement#Settlements (Odyssey)|Odyssey Settlement]]. Optional use of [[Vehicles#SRV|SRVs]].

There are 6 operations at launch, and a Networking & Balancing beta.<ref name=":3" /> Additional operations, bug fixes & various improvements will be added later.<ref name=":3" /> Under Siege is the 7th operation which was added on 2 Sep 2026.<ref name=":6" />