- Narrative Pivot: Update 1.70 (widely known as Update 14) officially launched the Thargoid War, transitioning the galaxy into “The Aftermath” following the Proteus Wave failure.
- Platform Schism: This update marked the permanent codebase divergence between “Live” (4.0) and “Legacy” (3.8), shifting console players to a maintenance-only branch.
- AX Weapon Buffs: Initial increases to Anti-Xeno (AX) Missile Rack damage served as the foundational balancing for the high-intensity Maelstrom and Titan combat encounters seen in the current 2026 meta.
The stars have never felt colder than they did on November 29, 2022. For Commanders in Elite Dangerous, Update 1.70 was not merely a list of bug fixes; it was the funeral of the old status quo and the birth of a terrifying new era. As the Thargoid Maelstroms began their inexorable march toward the Core Systems, players were forced to adapt to a galaxy that had fundamentally changed overnight. From the professional perspective of 2026, we can now see this update as the definitive moment that separated the casual explorers from the battle-hardened veterans of the Thargoid War.
The Great Galactic Schism: Live vs. Legacy
While the patch notes for 1.70 list support for PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, the industry-wide legacy of this update is defined by the “Codebase Divergence.” This was the moment Frontier Developments split the universe into two distinct timelines. “Live” (Version 4.0) moved forward with the Thargoid invasion narrative and the Odyssey engine, while “Legacy” (Version 3.8) became a frozen snapshot of the galaxy.
For console players, Update 1.70 provided essential technical stability but served as a bittersweet farewell to the evolving narrative. Much like the technical shifts seen in the Marathon Update 1.025 Patch Notes, the focus here was on ensuring that even as the narrative moved forward, the underlying architecture remained playable for those on older hardware.
Engineering the Counter-Offensive: AX Weapon Changes
Update 1.70 introduced the first significant balancing passes for Anti-Xeno (AX) weaponry. By increasing the damage of AX Missile Racks, Frontier began the slow process of empowering the player base to handle Interceptor-class threats at scale. This update also fixed the “Thargoid crash” bug where Meta Alloys in a cargo hold would cause a desktop crash—a critical fix that allowed the first major logistics runs of the war to succeed.
Similar to the iterative balancing found in the Reanimal Update v1.7 Patch Notes, these changes were about preparing the player base for a higher difficulty ceiling. The 2022 patch notes provided the first hints that Thargoid ships would no longer simply “jump out” of conflict zones, forcing pilots into do-or-die engagements.
Elite Dangerous Update 1.70 Detailed Patch Notes
Community Issues & Stability
- Fixed severe shadow flickering that had plagued the game since Update 12.
- Performance improvements for settlements to prevent frame-rate hitching during combat.
- Resolved atmosphere rendering issues for AMD RX 6000 series cards.
- Fixed invisible walls at Prospector’s Rest blocking access to Selene Jean.
- Corrected the “Scarlet Krait” error occurring during multicrew hyperspace jumps.
Combat & AI Adjustments
| Feature | Change/Fix |
|---|---|
| AX Missile Racks | Base damage increased across all classes. |
| Thargoid AI | Stopped Interceptors from jumping out of CZs prematurely. |
| Humanoid AI | Fixed “nightmare fuel” death animation loops. |
| Bounties | Fixed bounty sharing for in-person multicrew members. |
Ship & SRV Maintenance
Frontier addressed several “quality of life” issues that had frustrated long-haul pilots. Most notable was the fix for the Diamondback Scout’s landing gear, which previously prevented the SRV from deploying on uneven terrain. Additionally, the Asp Explorer and Krait Mk II received ship kit adjustments to prevent texture flickering (z-fighting) and color bleed.
“The Aftermath is not just a name; it is a new reality. Update 14 changed the way we perceive the Bubble, turning familiar starports into potential war zones.”
— Galnet News Archive, late 2022
Interface & Audio Refinement
- Added an optional keybind for the Shutdown Field Neutraliser—a mandatory tool for the modern AX pilot.
- Reduced Horizons-era music volume to match Odyssey’s mix for better immersion.
- Fixed “Suit Fully Charged” voice lines to trigger correctly.
- Improved hangar lighting and VFX for ship cockpits to enhance visual clarity during docking.
The 2026 Perspective: Why 1.70 Still Matters
In the context of the 2026 galactic landscape, Update 1.70 remains the most pivotal technical patch in the game’s decade-long history. It laid the groundwork for the Maelstroms that now define the edges of human space. While the game has since moved on to Version 1.80 and beyond, the AX weapon descriptions and AI behavior changes introduced here remain the bedrock of modern anti-xeno tactics.
Commanders looking for a similar level of depth in world-building and technical refinement should also investigate the Crimson Desert Update v1.05.01 Patch Notes, which mirrors Frontier’s approach to large-scale world-state changes.
