Game information
StatusPlayable
SettingSci-Fi
PlatformWindows PC; legacy console versions also exist
Business modelBuy-to-play with paid expansion content and optional cosmetic purchases
DeveloperFrontier Developments
Release / testingReleased December 16, 2014; live service continues
PvPPvP is available in Open play; Private Group and Solo modes are also available
PerspectiveFirst-person cockpit / on-foot
World typePersistent shared Milky Way galaxy simulation
Last checkedVerified August 17, 2026
Why it’s a sandbox MMO
Elite Dangerous is a sandbox because it drops players into a persistent galaxy and lets them decide what kind of commander to become. Trading, mining, exploration, bounty hunting, piracy, passenger work, combat and faction activity can all be pursued without a fixed character path.
What makes it different
Its sandbox is built at galactic scale rather than around housing or player cities. Player activity can feed into the Background Simulation and Powerplay, while exploration, markets, fleet carriers and open-ended careers give players reasons to make their own goals across the shared galaxy.
Sandbox systems
Space
TradingCommanders can make a career moving commodities between star systems and responding to changing market conditions.
MiningAsteroid mining provides minerals and commodities that can be sold through the galactic economy.
ExplorationPlayers can travel far beyond inhabited space, scan star systems and return exploration data for profit.
PvPPlayer-versus-player combat is part of the persistent multiplayer experience.
PvE
Player Factions
PowerplayPlayers can support major powers and participate in large-scale strategic competition.
Fleet CarriersPlayer-owned carriers can function as mobile bases and economic hubs.
Persistent WorldPlayers share a persistent representation of the Milky Way whose factions and systems continue changing between sessions.