Operations
Operations are multi-stage, PVE extraction scenarios.[1][2] There are various objectives like infiltrate a Megaship and rescue people on a planet. The Odyssey expansion is required, because it includes on foot gameplay.[1] This major update has been delayed from April to June 2026.[1]
Overview
These can take place both on-foot and in space.[1] It's designed to offer you and up to 3 other commanders challenging obstacles to overcome.[1] Explore some parts of ED never seen before such as the internals of a megaship in a hostile environment.[1]
The initial release will launch with multiple operations, with more being added overtime, and at various levels of difficulty.[1] 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.[1] Operations will be repeatable and give you access to rewards that are hard to obtain elsewhere in the galaxy.[1]
The Operation Runner is a new, non-flyable, capital ship from which team members start an operation and respawn.[2]
Scenarios
Here's a list of operation scenarios.
| Operation scenario[2] | Description |
|---|---|
| Burning Rescue | Rescue the inhabitants of a station that is under siege. Fight off pirates and blow off door clamps whilst guiding the inhabitants to safety. |
| Counter Attack | Infiltrate a recently attacked megaship on-foot, learn who is responsible for the attack, travel to their base and take them down. |
| Megaship Massacre Reclaim | Fight to reach an offline megaship, kill the hostile looters and battle enemy ships on your way back to safety before time runs out. |
| Megaship Massacre Strike | Sneak into a Megaship, take out hostile crew members, and let your employers take control of the megaship. |
| Pirate Hunt | Travel to an area in a system that is being terrorized by pirates. Take out much of the pirate fleet to taunt their boss into a fight. |
| Surface Rescue | Rescue the inhabitants of a surface port before the attacking forces return with reinforcements and neutralize them. |
Development
Operations was unveiled during the ED Developer Log - 4 November 2025 on the ED YouTube channel.[1] The release date is early 2026.[1] The first stage will be a balancing pass of on-foot combat, and AI improvements in early December 2025.[1]
Operations was further delayed in April 2026 to June 2026, citing a need for 'quality and care'.[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.[2] It skips the usual ARX period.
Videos
Gallery
- Megaship Interior Operations 1 WIP
- Burning Rescue WIP
- Squad WIP
- Combat WIP
- Operation Squad Selector WIP
