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{{Upcoming}}
[[File:Elite Dangerous Operations Key Art.jpg|thumb|260px|Operations key art]]
[[File:Operation Squad Selector WIP.jpg|thumb|260px|Operation squad selector]]
'''Operations''' are multi-stage, variable challenge based scenarios.<ref name=":3" /> They are intended for a squad of up to 4 [[commander]]s, which allows for solo missions. The activities are [[On Foot|on foot]] in [[megaship]]s or within [[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>   
'''Operations''' are multi-stage, PVE scenarios.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> There are various objectives like infiltrate a [[Megaship]] and rescue people at a [[Surface Port|surface port]]. A squad has up to 4 [[Commander|commanders]]. The [[Elite Dangerous: Odyssey|Odyssey]] expansion is required, because it includes [[On Foot|on foot]] gameplay.<ref name=":0" /> This major update has been delayed from April to 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>   


== Overview ==
== Overview ==
[[File:Megaship Interior Operations 1.jpg|thumb|260px|Megaship interior]]
[[File:Megaship Interior Operations 1.jpg|thumb|260px|Megaship interior]]
These can take place both on-foot and in space.<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 scenarios take place [[On Foot|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> They are designed to offer the player and up to 3 other commanders challenging obstacles to overcome.<ref name=":0" /> They open some parts of ED never seen before such as the internals of a [[megaship]] in a hostile environment.<ref name=":0" />


The initial release will launch with multiple operations, with more being added overtime, and at various levels of difficulty.<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 will be repeatable and give you access to rewards that are hard to obtain elsewhere in the galaxy.<ref name=":0" />
The initial release has multiple operations, with more being added overtime, and at various difficulty levels.<ref name=":0" /> Future operations might revolve around combat, some around mining, and more elements of ED.<ref name=":0" /> Operations are repeatable and give access to rewards that are hard to obtain elsewhere in the galaxy.<ref name=":0" />


The [[Operation Runner]] is a new, non-flyable, capital ship from which team members start an operation, respawn and extract.<ref name=":1" />
== Guide ==
 
=== Initiate ===
[[File:Operation Squad Selector WIP.jpg|thumb|260px|Operation lobby screen]]
Start an operation while docked by opening the Right Hand Panel in your ship HUD at any Starport, Outpost, Fleet Carrier or surface port. Select Operations in the home tab. You can choose "Join a squad", "Mercenary Operations" or "Powerplay Operations" to undermine a chosen [[:Category:Power|Power]] in [[Powerplay]]. Then pick 1 operation and a difficulty mode: easy or hard. The matchmaking system can fill the empty slots of your squad. There is 1 squad leader and 3 members. You can also manually invite friends or [[Mercenary|mercenaries]]. The scenarios are unoptimized for solo which makes it more challenging. Having the right loadout, engineer mods and tactics makes a big difference.
 
=== Operation Runner ===
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. Every operation starts and concludes on it. 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. It offers ship repairs, re-arming and refueling, all for free. Players can leave the mission area in their ship, supercruise back to the Runner, dock and repair, re-arm and recharge shields.
 
=== Respawn ===
If your ship is destroyed during the operation, you will instantly respawn aboard the Runner with your ship fully repaired, refueled, and re-armed.
 
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. Respawns are unlimited. Deaths do not affect operation's success, score or rewards.
 
=== Tips ===
All Synthesis is free while in Operation. You carry copy of your current stock of materials from main game into every operation. No matter what you spend during Operation, after the mission you will have same amount of materials as before.
 
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 appear, and if the NPC's profile is cloned by a teammate then the [[Maverick 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 on-foot Operations, having one team member in a [[Maverick Suit|Maveric suit]] can be beneficial. There are always locked cabinets with [[Consumables]], and in some Operations optional locked doors.
 
All team members may bring [[E-Breach|E-breach]] hacking devices to force-open locked crates. 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.
 
== Rewards ==
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]].
 
Merc Coins can be spent on special rewards like special ship modules, blueprints to engineer them further, and exclusive on-foot gear mods that are otherwise difficult to acquire in the [[galaxy]].
 
A maximum of 9999 Merc Coin can be accumulated. Additionally, a weekly allowance of 1000 limits earnings; this is a soft limit, since players can continue to earn Merc Coins at a lower payout after they reach that.
 
== Upgrade ==
It is recommended to upgrade your [[weapons]] and [[Suits|suit]] grade at [[Pioneer Supplies]]. Apply specific modifications via specialized [[Engineers]] to boosts survivability like [[Damage Resistance|damage resistance]], [[Faster Shield Regen|shield regen]], [[Extra Ammo Capacity|ammo capacity]] or [[Improved Battery Capacity|battery capacity]]. This increases the chances of survival for solo players and squads. For hard difficulty it's best to have 3-4 squadmates with fully engineered gear.
 
The NPC ships are often [[Engineers|engineered]]. So flying an unmodified ship is a disadvantage. Engineering your ship can increase the firepower, shields, speed and maneuverability.


== Modes ==
== Modes ==
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|}
|}


== Scenarios ==
== Operation types ==
Here's a list of operation scenarios.  
There are 7 operations.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":5" /> All operations are designed for squads. They can be completed solo, but this is more difficult. There are 2 difficulty modes: easy and hard. The table includes descriptions and recommendations by [[Frontier Developments|Frontier]].  
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible" border="1"
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible" border="1"
|+
|+
!Operation scenario<ref name=":1">[https://www.elitedangerous.com/news/update-operations An Update On Operations] - Elite Dangerous website - 22 April 2026</ref>
!Operation<ref name=":3">[https://www.elitedangerous.com/news/elite-dangerous-june-dev-log-2026 Elite Dangerous: June Dev Log 2026] - 19 June 2026</ref><ref>[https://www.elitedangerous.com/update-notes/4-4-0-0 Operation update notes 4.4.0.0] - Elite Dangerous</ref>
!Description
!Description<ref>[https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/elite-dangerous-operations-update-notes.648012/ Elite Dangerous | Operations Update Notes] - 30 June 2026</ref>
!Objective
!Recommended Players
!On&nbsp;foot / In&nbsp;space
!Recommended gear (easy)
!Recommended gear (hard)
|-
|[[Operations#Biohazard Takedown|Biohazard Takedown]]
|''"A group of researchers is developing a dangerous weapon, you need to assault the ship, obtain the location and IDs of the researchers and take them out."''
|Assault a bioweapon creation Megaship, identify those responsible, find their location and eliminate them.
|2 - 4
|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>
|-
|[[Operations#Firestorm Rescue|Firestorm Rescue]]
|"''There are hostages trapped in a burning station, break the siege and evacuate those that remain. You will need to manage the station's heat to buy enough time to complete the rescue while dealing with the hostile forces trying to stop you."''
|Rescue the inhabitants of a burning [[station]] that is under siege. Fight off pirate ships  and blow off door clamps whilst guiding the inhabitants to safety.
|3 - 4
|Space
|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>
|-
|-
|Counter Attack
|Found Adrift<ref name=":7">[https://www.elitedangerous.com/news/elite-dangerous-october-dev-log-2026-law-disorder Elite Dangerous: October Dev Log 2026 | Law & Disorder] - EliteDangerous.com - 14 October 2026</ref>
|Infiltrate a recently attacked [[megaship]] on-foot, learn who is responsible for the attack, travel to their base and take them down.
|''"An Abandoned megaship carrying a high value asset has reappeared. Navigate the wreck and secure the item before other scavengers do."''
|Enter the wreckage of a megaship. Recover a valuable asset. Find the vault. Eliminate the opposition. Get the goods. Get out.
|3 - 4
|On foot
|
|
|-
|-
|Firestorm Rescue<ref name=":2" />
|[[Operations#Rapid Response|Rapid Response]]
|Rescue the inhabitants of a [[station]] that is under siege. Fight off pirates and blow off door clamps whilst guiding the inhabitants to safety.
|"''A planetary port has come under attack and some personnel are still trapped inside who need rescuing. You cannot delay, as a huge hostile fleet is on the way. If the evacuation is not completed in time, there will be no hope for those still inside."''
|Rescue the inhabitants of a [[Surface Port|surface port]] before the attacking forces return with reinforcements and neutralize them.
|3 - 4
|Space
|A-rated ship (two players in an evac ship)
|(Two players in an evac ship)
|-
|-
|Megaship Massacre Reclaim
|[[Operations#Reclamation Point|Reclamation Point]]
|Fight to reach an offline megaship, kill the hostile looters and battle enemy ships on your way back to safety before time runs out.
|"''The megaship has been hijacked, your job is to eliminate all hostile forces in and around the megaship so the client can recover it. You'll need your best gear and ship to accomplish your goal."''
|Fight to reach a hijacked megaship, kill the hostile looters and battle enemy ships on your way back to safety before time runs out.
|2 - 4
|Both
|<nowiki>Grade 1/2 on foot | A-rated ship</nowiki>
|Grade 4/5 engineering
|-
|-
|Megaship Massacre Strike
|[[Operations#Tactical Takedown|Tactical Takedown]]
|Sneak into a Megaship, take out hostile crew members, and let your employers take control of the megaship.
|''"The client's megaship has been compromised by a rival faction, you will need to board the ship and fight your way through the command deck to obtain intel and trace the origin of the attack. Then you'll want to bring your firepower to bear on the general responsible for the attack at their home base."''
|Fight your way in space to stolen [[megaship]], infiltrate it on-foot, learn who is responsible for the attack, assault their home base in ship.
|3 - 4
|Both
|<nowiki>Grade 1/2 on foot | A-rated ship</nowiki>
|Grade 4/5 engineering
|-
|-
|Pirate Hunt
|[[Operations#Terminal Prosecution|Terminal Prosecution]]
|Travel to an area in a [[Star system|system]] that is being terrorized by pirates. Take out much of the pirate fleet to taunt their boss into a fight.
|''"A criminal element is causing trouble in the system, they've been raiding for weeks now, it's your job to clear them out."''
|Eliminate pirate ships that are ravaging a [[Star system|system]]. Take out much of the pirate fleet to taunt their boss into a fight.
|2 - 4
|Space
|A-rated ship (low level engineering)
|Full grade 5 engineering
|-
|-
|Surface Rescue
|[[Operations#Under Siege|Under Siege]]<ref name=":6">[https://www.elitedangerous.com/news/elite-dangerous-august-dev-log-2026 Elite Dangerous: August Dev Log 2026] - 27 August 2026</ref><ref name=":5">[https://www.elitedangerous.com/news/updates/4-4-1-0 Elite Dangerous - 4.4.1.0 Update Notes] - 2 September 2026</ref>
|Rescue the inhabitants of a [[Surface Port|surface port]] before the attacking forces return with reinforcements and neutralize them.
|''"Respond to a distress call from a planetary settlement, where urgent help is required to help lift a blockade and neutralise enemy forces attempting to take the settlement."''
|Clear the skies before diving into a firefight within the planetary settlement's facilities. Once you've regained control, you'll need to scramble back to your ship to take on a larger threat.
|2 - 4
|Both
|<nowiki>Grade 1/2 on foot | A-rated ship</nowiki>
|Grade 4/5 engineering
|}
|}
== Guides ==
=== Biohazard Takedown ===
This mission requires ''on-foot combat only''. Hostile ships are present, which can be fought or evaded.
'''Required gear'''
* One player in [[Maverick Suit|Maveric suit]]
'''Recommended gear'''
* Rest of players in [[Dominator Suit|Dominator suits]]
=== Firestorm Rescue ===
The whole operation takes place in ''ships only''. Hostile ships are present, which can be fought or evaded.
'''Required gear'''
* At least one [[Station#Damaged State|rescue]] capable ship - with economy class [[Passenger Cabin|passenger cabins]]
* At least one ship with weapons
* At least one ship equipped with [[Recon Limpet Controller]] and limpets
'''Recommended gear'''
* 2 large rescue-dedicated ships - with large passenger capacity
* 2 ships for ship-to-ship combat
=== Found Adrift ===
This mission requires ''on-foot combat only''. It only takes place inside an abandoned megaship.
'''Required gear'''
* ?
'''Recommended gear'''
* ?
=== Rapid Response ===
The whole operation takes place in ''ships only''. Ship-to-ship combat is required.
'''Required gear'''
* At least one [[Station#Damaged State|rescue]] capable ship - with Economy class [[Passenger Cabin|passenger cabins]]
'''Recommended gear'''
* 2-3 large rescue-dedicated ships - with large passenger capacity
* 1-2 ships for ship-to-ship combat
=== Reclamation Point ===
''Ship-to-ship'' combat is required. ''On foot'' combat inside a megaship is required.
'''Required gear'''
* At least one ship for ship-to-ship combat
'''Recommended gear'''
* All ships with at least 1000 shield strength. Otherwise they may be (repeatedly) destroyed before being able to launch from the megaship
* 4 ships geared for ship-to-ship combat
* All players in [[Dominator Suit|Dominator suits]]
=== Tactical Takedown ===
''Ship-to-ship'' combat is required. ''On foot'' combat inside megaship is required.
'''Required gear'''
* At least one ship for ship-to-ship combat
'''Recommended gear'''
* 4 ships geared for ship-to-ship combat
* All players in [[Dominator Suit|Dominator suits]]
* All players stocked with [[Shield Projector|Shield projector hand grenades]]
=== Terminal Prosecution ===
Th whole operation is ''ship-to-ship combat'' in space.
'''Required gear'''
* At least one ship for ship-to-ship combat
'''Recommended gear'''
* 4 ships geared for ship-to-ship combat
=== Under Siege ===
Requires ''ship-to-ship combat'' and ''on foot combat'' on planet surfaces in [[Settlement#Settlements (Odyssey)|Odyssey settlements]]. Optional use of [[Vehicles#SRV|SRVs]].
'''Required gear'''
* At least one ship for ship-to-ship combat
'''Recommended gear'''
* 4 ships geared for ship-to-ship combat
* 3 players in [[Dominator Suit|Dominator suits]]
* 1 player in [[Maverick Suit]]
== Statistics ==
Technical Lead Roger reported on 30 July 2026:<ref>[https://www.elitedangerous.com/news/elite-dangerous-july-dev-log-2026 Elite Dangerous: July Dev Log 2026] - 30 July 2026</ref>
* Over 130,000 Operations started
* Over 75% of all started Operations were successfully completed
* Most Popular Operation: Biohazard Takedown


== Development ==
== Development ==
Operations was unveiled during the ''ED Developer Log - 4 November 2025 on the ED YouTube channel''.<ref name=":0" /> The release date is early 2026.<ref name=":0" /> The first stage will be a balancing pass of on-foot combat, and AI improvements in early December 2025.<ref name=":0" />
[[File:ED Operations Roadmap.jpg|thumb|Operations Roadmap]]
Operations was unveiled during the ''ED Developer Log - 4 November 2025 on the ED YouTube channel''.<ref name=":0" /> The original release date was winter 2025 which was postponed to early 2026.<ref name=":0" /> The first stage was a balancing pass of on-foot combat, NPC combat behaviour, rebalanced suits and weapons, and AI improvements.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":4">[https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/elite-dangerous-caspian-explorer-update.643685/ Elite Dangerous | Caspian Explorer Update] - Frontier Forums - 2 Dec 2025</ref> This was part of the free Caspian Explorer update on 2 Dec 2025.<ref name=":4" />
 
Operations was further delayed in April 2026 to 30 June 2026, citing a need for '<nowiki/>''quality and care'''.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> To compensate for the delay, [[Frontier Developments|Frontier]] released the passenger liner [[Lynx Highliner]] straight into access for [[credits]] on 28 April 2026.<ref name=":1" /> It skipped the usual [[ARX]] period.


Operations was further delayed in April 2026 to 30 June 2026, citing a need for '<nowiki/>''quality and care'''.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> To compensate for the delay, [[Frontier Developments]] will release the new passenger liner [[Lynx Highliner]] straight into access for [[credits]] on 28 April 2026.<ref name=":1" /> It skips the usual [[ARX]] period.
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" /> The 8th operation ''Found Adrift'' will be added on 20 October 2026.<ref name=":7" />


== Videos ==
== Videos ==
<gallery>
<gallery>
File:Elite_Dangerous_-_Developer_Log_-_4_November_2025
File:Elite Dangerous - Developer Log - 4 November 2025
File:Elite Dangerous - Developer Log - 16 February 2026
File:Elite Dangerous - Developer Log - 16 February 2026
File:Elite Dangerous - Operations - Release Trailer
File:Elite Dangerous - Under Siege- Solo Hard - new operation
File:I Did The Math On Merc Coins... The Internet Was Right - Elite Dangerous
</gallery>
</gallery>


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File:Operations Combat WIP 1.jpg|Combat WIP
File:Operations Combat WIP 1.jpg|Combat WIP
File:Operation Squad Selector WIP.jpg|Operation Squad Selector WIP
File:Operation Squad Selector WIP.jpg|Operation Squad Selector WIP
File:ED Operations Roadmap.jpg|Operations Roadmap
File:Elite Dangerous Operations Key Art.jpg|Elite Dangerous Operations Key Art
File:ED Operations Key Art No Logo.png|Operations Key Art No Logo
File:Operation Under Siege.jpg|Operation Under Siege
File:Found Adrift Operation.png|Found Adrift Operation
</gallery>
</gallery>


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[[Category:Services and Contacts]]
[[Category:Services and Contacts]]
[[Category:Ship interiors]]
[[Category:Ship interiors]]
[[Category:Elite Dangerous: Odyssey]]
[[Category:Guides]]

Latest revision as of 12:19, 23 October 2026

File:Elite Dangerous Operations Key Art.jpg
Operations key art

Operations are multi-stage, variable challenge based scenarios.[1] They are intended for a squad of up to 4 commanders, which allows for solo missions. The activities are on foot in megaships or within ships in space.[2] The Odyssey expansion is required. This major update launched on 30 June 2026.[3]

Overview

File:Megaship Interior Operations 1.jpg
Megaship interior

The scenarios take place on foot, in space or both.[2] They are designed to offer the player and up to 3 other commanders challenging obstacles to overcome.[2] They open some parts of ED never seen before such as the internals of a megaship in a hostile environment.[2]

The initial release has multiple operations, with more being added overtime, and at various difficulty levels.[2] Future operations might revolve around combat, some around mining, and more elements of ED.[2] Operations are repeatable and give access to rewards that are hard to obtain elsewhere in the galaxy.[2]

Guide

Initiate

File:Operation Squad Selector WIP.jpg
Operation lobby screen

Start an operation while docked by opening the Right Hand Panel in your ship HUD at any Starport, Outpost, Fleet Carrier or surface port. Select Operations in the home tab. You can choose "Join a squad", "Mercenary Operations" or "Powerplay Operations" to undermine a chosen Power in Powerplay. Then pick 1 operation and a difficulty mode: easy or hard. The matchmaking system can fill the empty slots of your squad. There is 1 squad leader and 3 members. You can also manually invite friends or mercenaries. The scenarios are unoptimized for solo which makes it more challenging. Having the right loadout, engineer mods and tactics makes a big difference.

Operation Runner

The Operation Runner is a non-flyable, capital ship from which team members start an operation, respawn and extract.[4]

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. Every operation starts and concludes on it. 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. It offers ship repairs, re-arming and refueling, all for free. Players can leave the mission area in their ship, supercruise back to the Runner, dock and repair, re-arm and recharge shields.

Respawn

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

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

Tips

All Synthesis is free while in Operation. You carry copy of your current stock of materials from main game into every operation. No matter what you spend during Operation, after the mission you will have same amount of materials as before.

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 Biohazard Takedown an NPC with level 3 access may randomly appear, and if the NPC's profile is cloned by a teammate then the Maverick 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 on-foot Operations, having one team member in a Maveric suit can be beneficial. There are always locked cabinets with Consumables, and in some Operations optional locked doors.

All team members may bring E-breach hacking devices to force-open locked crates. 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.

Rewards

Successful completion of the operation objectives yields rewards: Merc Coin, credits and both Ship Engineering materials and Personal equipment Engineering materials.

Merc Coins can be spent on special rewards like special ship modules, blueprints to engineer them further, and exclusive on-foot gear mods that are otherwise difficult to acquire in the galaxy.

A maximum of 9999 Merc Coin can be accumulated. Additionally, a weekly allowance of 1000 limits earnings; this is a soft limit, since players can continue to earn Merc Coins at a lower payout after they reach that.

Upgrade

It is recommended to upgrade your weapons and suit grade at Pioneer Supplies. Apply specific modifications via specialized Engineers to boosts survivability like damage resistance, shield regen, ammo capacity or battery capacity. This increases the chances of survival for solo players and squads. For hard difficulty it's best to have 3-4 squadmates with fully engineered gear.

The NPC ships are often engineered. So flying an unmodified ship is a disadvantage. Engineering your ship can increase the firepower, shields, speed and maneuverability.

Modes

Operation mode[4] Description
Mercenary This is the default mode for Operations. It carries no consequences or Powerplay effects, and is fully accessible to any Commanders who meet the scenario requirements.
Powerplay Adding a layer of strategic depth, squads are able to undermine a chosen Power as part of an Operation. Eligible systems are determined by the Squad Leader's Power alignment and current location, ensuring Commander's can't target their own Power. Unaligned Commanders can join these scenarios but they will not earn any Merits.

Operation types

There are 7 operations.[1][5] All operations are designed for squads. They can be completed solo, but this is more difficult. There are 2 difficulty modes: easy and hard. The table includes descriptions and recommendations by Frontier.

Operation[1][6] Description[7] Objective Recommended Players On foot / In space Recommended gear (easy) Recommended gear (hard)
Biohazard Takedown "A group of researchers is developing a dangerous weapon, you need to assault the ship, obtain the location and IDs of the researchers and take them out." Assault a bioweapon creation Megaship, identify those responsible, find their location and eliminate them. 2 - 4 On foot Grade 1/2 on foot | A-rated ship (no engineering) Grade 4/5 on foot | Grade 4/5 engineering
Firestorm Rescue "There are hostages trapped in a burning station, break the siege and evacuate those that remain. You will need to manage the station's heat to buy enough time to complete the rescue while dealing with the hostile forces trying to stop you." Rescue the inhabitants of a burning station that is under siege. Fight off pirate ships and blow off door clamps whilst guiding the inhabitants to safety. 3 - 4 Space A-rated ship (Two players in an evac ship, one in combat ship) Grade 5 on foot | Grade 4/5 Engineering (two players in an evac ship, one in combat ship)
Found Adrift[8] "An Abandoned megaship carrying a high value asset has reappeared. Navigate the wreck and secure the item before other scavengers do." Enter the wreckage of a megaship. Recover a valuable asset. Find the vault. Eliminate the opposition. Get the goods. Get out. 3 - 4 On foot
Rapid Response "A planetary port has come under attack and some personnel are still trapped inside who need rescuing. You cannot delay, as a huge hostile fleet is on the way. If the evacuation is not completed in time, there will be no hope for those still inside." Rescue the inhabitants of a surface port before the attacking forces return with reinforcements and neutralize them. 3 - 4 Space A-rated ship (two players in an evac ship) (Two players in an evac ship)
Reclamation Point "The megaship has been hijacked, your job is to eliminate all hostile forces in and around the megaship so the client can recover it. You'll need your best gear and ship to accomplish your goal." Fight to reach a hijacked megaship, kill the hostile looters and battle enemy ships on your way back to safety before time runs out. 2 - 4 Both Grade 1/2 on foot | A-rated ship Grade 4/5 engineering
Tactical Takedown "The client's megaship has been compromised by a rival faction, you will need to board the ship and fight your way through the command deck to obtain intel and trace the origin of the attack. Then you'll want to bring your firepower to bear on the general responsible for the attack at their home base." Fight your way in space to stolen megaship, infiltrate it on-foot, learn who is responsible for the attack, assault their home base in ship. 3 - 4 Both Grade 1/2 on foot | A-rated ship Grade 4/5 engineering
Terminal Prosecution "A criminal element is causing trouble in the system, they've been raiding for weeks now, it's your job to clear them out." Eliminate pirate ships that are ravaging a system. Take out much of the pirate fleet to taunt their boss into a fight. 2 - 4 Space A-rated ship (low level engineering) Full grade 5 engineering
Under Siege[9][5] "Respond to a distress call from a planetary settlement, where urgent help is required to help lift a blockade and neutralise enemy forces attempting to take the settlement." Clear the skies before diving into a firefight within the planetary settlement's facilities. Once you've regained control, you'll need to scramble back to your ship to take on a larger threat. 2 - 4 Both Grade 1/2 on foot | A-rated ship Grade 4/5 engineering

Guides

Biohazard Takedown

This mission requires on-foot combat only. Hostile ships are present, which can be fought or evaded.

Required gear

Recommended gear

Firestorm Rescue

The whole operation takes place in ships only. Hostile ships are present, which can be fought or evaded.

Required gear

Recommended gear

  • 2 large rescue-dedicated ships - with large passenger capacity
  • 2 ships for ship-to-ship combat

Found Adrift

This mission requires on-foot combat only. It only takes place inside an abandoned megaship.

Required gear

  • ?

Recommended gear

  • ?

Rapid Response

The whole operation takes place in ships only. Ship-to-ship combat is required.

Required gear

Recommended gear

  • 2-3 large rescue-dedicated ships - with large passenger capacity
  • 1-2 ships for ship-to-ship combat

Reclamation Point

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

Required gear

  • At least one ship for ship-to-ship combat

Recommended gear

  • All ships with at least 1000 shield strength. Otherwise they may be (repeatedly) destroyed before being able to launch from the megaship
  • 4 ships geared for ship-to-ship combat
  • All players in Dominator suits

Tactical Takedown

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

Required gear

  • At least one ship for ship-to-ship combat

Recommended gear

Terminal Prosecution

Th whole operation is ship-to-ship combat in space.

Required gear

  • At least one ship for ship-to-ship combat

Recommended gear

  • 4 ships geared for ship-to-ship combat

Under Siege

Requires ship-to-ship combat and on foot combat on planet surfaces in Odyssey settlements. Optional use of SRVs.

Required gear

  • At least one ship for ship-to-ship combat

Recommended gear

Statistics

Technical Lead Roger reported on 30 July 2026:[10]

  • Over 130,000 Operations started
  • Over 75% of all started Operations were successfully completed
  • Most Popular Operation: Biohazard Takedown

Development

File:ED Operations Roadmap.jpg
Operations Roadmap

Operations was unveiled during the ED Developer Log - 4 November 2025 on the ED YouTube channel.[2] The original release date was winter 2025 which was postponed to early 2026.[2] The first stage was a balancing pass of on-foot combat, NPC combat behaviour, rebalanced suits and weapons, and AI improvements.[2][11] This was part of the free Caspian Explorer update on 2 Dec 2025.[11]

Operations was further delayed in April 2026 to 30 June 2026, citing a need for 'quality and care'.[4][3] To compensate for the delay, Frontier released the passenger liner Lynx Highliner straight into access for credits on 28 April 2026.[4] It skipped the usual ARX period.

There are 6 operations at launch, and a Networking & Balancing beta.[1] Additional operations, bug fixes & various improvements will be added later.[1] Under Siege is the 7th operation which was added on 2 Sep 2026.[9] The 8th operation Found Adrift will be added on 20 October 2026.[8]

Videos

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Elite Dangerous: June Dev Log 2026 - 19 June 2026
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 Elite Dangerous | Developer Log - 4 November 2025 - YouTube
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Elite Dangerous: May Dev Log 2026 - 26 May 2026 - Elite Dangerous website
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 An Update On Operations - Elite Dangerous website - 22 April 2026
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Elite Dangerous - 4.4.1.0 Update Notes - 2 September 2026
  6. ↑ Operation update notes 4.4.0.0 - Elite Dangerous
  7. ↑ Elite Dangerous | Operations Update Notes - 30 June 2026
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Elite Dangerous: October Dev Log 2026 | Law & Disorder - EliteDangerous.com - 14 October 2026
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Elite Dangerous: August Dev Log 2026 - 27 August 2026
  10. ↑ Elite Dangerous: July Dev Log 2026 - 30 July 2026
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Elite Dangerous | Caspian Explorer Update - Frontier Forums - 2 Dec 2025

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