Frontier Developments announced today that Elite Dangerous: Beyond - Chapter One will be available as a free update on February 27th on all platforms.

　　As you can read below, it's a mix of community requested enhancements that should improve the overall player experience as well as new in-game content whose main purpose will be to continue the ongoing storyline.

　　With the release of Chapter One, the crime and punishment system in Elite Dangerous will undergo a series of changes designed to improve the response to players’ criminal activities, making Open Play’s massively multiplayer galaxy fairer and more competitive.

　　The new Advance Tactical Response will be on the hunt for repeat offenders, ‘Hot Ships’ attach crimes to players’ spacecrafts, and new notoriety levels increase consequences for illegal activities making the galaxy a more challenging place for veteran pilots.

　　With the introduction of GalNet Audio the main source of news in Elite Dangerous becomes easily accessible as commanders can catch up on the latest updates and engage with the overarching narrative without ever leaving the action. 

　　Starting February 27, new contacts will become available for Elite Dangerous Horizons owners as tech brokers, dealers of rare tools and technologies, give players a chance to acquire new items based on their personal narrative and experience. In addition, material traders will allow commanders to convert and exchange materials, making engineering and unlocking missions with tech brokers more accessible.

　　Beyond - Chapter One also features an array of improvements and updates, including the addition of a trade data overlay helping commanders find the most profitable trades in the Milky Way, changes to the engineering mechanics which ensure guaranteed improvement when crafting, the overhaul of the mission rewards system as well as the introduction of a new combat ship, The Chieftain, built as a response to the new Thargoid threat.