The Elite Dangerous: Odyssey PC Alpha is now available today for those who pre-ordered the game or purchased the Lifetime Expansion Pass, and Frontier Developments provided some additional details on it.

　　The Elite Dangerous: Odyssey PC Alpha will run over several weeks, and it will gradually introduce players to new gameplay features, as detailed in the roadmap below. The progressive content and features rollout will let the developer gather better data and adjust the game ahead of the game's release in late Spring.

　　Phase 1: First Steps. Focussing on Odyssey’s core systems and network features, Phase 1 will group all Commanders in a single star system to maximize player interaction. Players can purchase the Remlock Maverick scavenger suit and the Takada and Kinematic weapon sets, and take part in a selection of activities, including salvage, collection and delivery. Players will not have access to spaceships at this stage, but in-system travel will still be possible thanks to the new Apex Interstellar feature.Phase 2: Combat. Introducing Elite Dangerous: Odyssey’s first person combat experience, Commanders will have access to the Manticore Dominator combat suit. Faction conflicts will be enabled, in time for the Frontline Solutions Mercenary Company to start operations in this phase. Additionally, players will be able to travel up to 20 light years in their own spaceships, and can get involved in an expanded variety of missions, including trading with settlements in neighbouring systems.Phase 3: Exploration. Expanding the playable bubble to 50 light years, this phase shall include unexplored planets and the coveted “First Footfall” experience. Commanders can now don the Supratech Artemis explorer suit and analyse alien organics with the Genetic Sampler tool.Phase 4: Compatibility. In the final phase of the Elite Dangerous: Odyssey Alpha, players will have access to their own Commanders, and test the inclusion of existing features in the main game, like Fleet Carriers, ship-launched Fighters and SRVs.Elite Dangerous: Odyssey will mark the beginning of a new era for Elite Dangerous, introducing the ability to actually explore planets.

　　The Elite Dangerous galaxy’s rich setting and open-ended design reaches a new level of depth thanks to Odyssey’s feet-on-the-ground gameplay. Introducing the detailed scale that is needed for on-foot gameplay while maintaining the vast distances measured in light years and the myriad missions available to players, Odyssey will greatly augment the already rich world of Elite Dangerous, offering a more personal experience for all Commanders to enjoy in their own way, in addition to the vast galaxy they can already explore.

　　Elite Dangerous: Odyssey launches on PC in late Spring and later this year on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One worldwide.