Elite: Dangerous PAX trailer hints at trouble ahead for the human race

The search for the mysterious alien race known as the Thargoid in Elite: Dangerous seemed to finally bear fruit back in January, when a pilot encountered a bizarre, flower-like alien ship. The incident ended peacefully, although nobody seemed to believe that would last: As the first contact pilot put it, "If they are Thargoids, we're up shit creek without a paddle." Going by the "Unknown" trailer released today at PAX, he was 100 percent right—and it's time to start splashing.

The trailer is unfortunately brief, and to be fair to all involved it may have ended with a handshake and the friendly exchange of information and technology under the shadow of that massive alien ship. But my gut feeling is that's not how matters played out.

It's possible that the humans brought the wrath of the Thargoids (or whoever they are) upon them by poking around inside that cave, or parking garage, or whatever it is. Or maybe it was a trap, meant to draw human ships in to test their combat capabilities. Whatever the case, it seems clear that these flower-flying freaks from beyond the frontier are done screwing around, and that could mean some very interesting times ahead for Elite: Dangerous players.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.