Dear X-fans, we would like to wish you a Merry X-Mas and a Happy New Year!

Another year has almost passed, and once again, a lot has happened in our beloved studio and with our game. As always we've worked tirelessly, and have brought you two very important things for X4: Foundations:

• The 7.00 major update, which introduced numerous new features, improved upon lots of existing ones, and fixed various bugs.
  
• The X4: Timelines expansion, which offers a unique game mode, in which you can play different historic and skill-based scenarios, and even compete against the scores of your fellow players.

This year also marked the 25th anniversary of the launch of our very first X game, X: Beyond the Frontier. We celebrated it with a fantastic sale and a heartfelt "Thank You" video from our Founder and Managing Director, Bernd Lehahn.

You helped grow our wholesome community: our Official Forum, the X4: Foundations Steam Forum, the X4 Subreddit, and even the Egosoft Discord gained thousands of new members who now have welcoming places to connect. Thank you. If you're looking for an overview of all our communication channels, please visit our Linktree.

So what's next, you might ask?
Long story short: we are far from being done with X4: Foundations, and boy, do we have some goodies in the works for you. You might have already seen our recently released Roadmap for X4, which loosely outlines what you can expect in the future. Let's focus on what's coming in the first quarter of 2025:

• Flight Model update: We're deploying a major update that will enhance the flight model of all ships, among other things. This is no small change, as it will affect every pilotable spacecraft. Their specifications and movement will vary significantly depending on which engines and thrusters you install. We kindly ask that, if you have the time and energy, you join the Public Beta and share your feedback.
  
• "Mini DLC 1": Well, what could this be? "Introducing a fan-favourite ship"? But there are so many to choose from! Eventually, we had to pick one, and we've gone with arguably the "bestest ever" option: The Hyperion, as the game's very first Expeditionary ship!

So, what is the Hyperion?
Our Veteran players are hopefully already screaming in joy at this point. If you take a closer look at the X-Mas Postcard above, you might be able to find the ship under the numerous festive ornaments. The Paranid Hyperion has quite the story, having played a major role in X3: Reunion's Bala Gi missions. It was a fan-favourite vessel from the start, and we hope that it will meet your expectations in X4: Foundations as well! To tease you a little, we think you will consider it as one of your larger "daily drive" ships, but don't let its size fool you; it will easily outrun and outmanoeuvre its adversaries, and will make short work of smaller targets quickly and efficiently. It also comes with a brand-new classification: an Expeditionary ship. What could this mean? Time will tell!

We hope you've enjoyed playing our games and felt welcomed in our community. Here's to another great year!

Best wishes,
The Egosoft Team

We're excited to announce the start of the Public Beta for the upcoming 7.50 Update for X4: Foundations, also known as the "Flight Model Update"! This major update introduces a substantial overhaul of the game's flight model, bringing smoother and more realistic ship controls to the X4 universe. Check out the full changelog at the end of this news post and join our Public Beta today to support us in preparing for the update's release in the first quarter of 2025.

For this ambitious transformation, we've partnered with John Pritchett, a former Senior Physics Programmer from the Star Citizen development team, who has been instrumental in reworking ship handling in X4. This update brings significant changes to ship control and flight pathing, and we're thrilled to give you the chance to experience it first-hand.

Be sure to watch our latest XLOG episode, where Egosoft founder and Managing Director Bernd Lehahn shares his thoughts on the upcoming changes and our plans for the next year. Also, don't miss our recently posted Roadmap news, which offers a broader look at our vision for the future of X4.

In addition to the new flight model, we're making balancing adjustments across all ships in the game. Expect refined engines, thrusters, and other ship components as we work to create a balanced, optimised experience that fully leverages the new flight dynamics.

This update also expands the X4 universe with several new sectors, connecting previously distant Terran and Boron regions. And alongside these new areas of space, we're introducing adjustments to the in-game economy.

On the visual front, the 7.50 update will bring major enhancements to our graphics engine, including DLSS and FSR 3 support.

How Do I Take Part in the Public Beta?
Every player who owns X4: Foundations has the opportunity to download the new 7.50 Public Beta version. To ensure that beta participants are aware of the risks and rules involved, we ask all interested players to visit our forum (no registration required), where they will find the rules, disclaimers, and practical instructions for participating in the beta.

We're excited to hear your feedback on this transformative update. Follow our Steam updates and other channels via our Linktree to stay informed as we move closer to the official release.

(please visit our forum for the complete changelog)