Careersoperations
Operations
Squad-based scenarios for up to 4 commanders, how to start and the Operations Runner hub, Mercenary vs Powerplay modes, the 7 operations, what to bring on foot and in ship, rewards and the Merc Coin economy, MercGear modules and blueprints, and the gotchas of a beta feature.
Verified: September 10, 2026Game: 4.4.x (Rhino SRV update)
**Highly volatile ⚠️.** Operations launched June 30, 2026 as a "Networking and Balancing Beta." Rewards and balance are still being tuned. Requires **Odyssey.**
Summary
- Squad based scenarios for up to 4 commanders. Solo is allowed but hard.
- 7 operations live now. 6 at launch plus Under Siege, added September 2, 2026.
- Two modes. Mercenary (no consequences) and Powerplay (earns merits, undermines a rival Power).
- Rewards: credits, ship materials, on-foot materials, Merc Coin, and merits in Powerplay mode.
- Merc Coin buys MercGear: special ship modules and blueprints you then engineer further.
- Merc Coin caps at 9,999, with a 1,000 weekly earning limit. It cannot be bought with ARX.
- Bring engineered gear. The NPCs are engineered. An unmodified ship is a real disadvantage.
How to Start One
- 1Dock anywhere: Starport, Outpost, surface port, Fleet Carrier, or Squadron Carrier.
- 2Open the right hand panel, Home tab, select Operations.
- 3Pick Join a squad, Mercenary Operations, or Powerplay Operations.
- 4Build a squad from friends, or use matchmaking. Squadmates can be anywhere in the galaxy.
- 5Everyone gets jumped to the Operations Runner.
The Operations Runner
The hub vessel for every operation.
- It deploys you straight into the target system, skipping all travel.
- If you die, you respawn here. Your ship comes back fully repaired, refueled, and rearmed.
- It sits close to the objective, so you get back into the fight fast.
- It is also your extraction point.
The Two Modes
**Mercenary**
The default. No consequences, no Powerplay effects. Open to anyone who meets the requirements.
**Powerplay**
Your squad undermines a chosen Power. Eligible systems come from the Squad Leader's Power alignment and location. You cannot target your own Power. Unaligned commanders can join but earn no merits.
The 7 Operations
| Operation | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Tactical Takedown | Assault a ship where researchers are building a dangerous weapon. Get the location and IDs, then take them out. |
| Firestorm Rescue | A station is under siege. Blow the door clamps, free the people, fight off enemies. |
| Rapid Response | A planetary port is under attack with personnel trapped inside. A hostile fleet is inbound. Evacuate before the clock runs out. |
| Reclamation Point | Fight your way to an offline megaship, kill the looters, then battle enemy ships on the way back. |
| Biohazard Takedown | An on-foot operation with locked doors and randomized NPC access levels. Bring a Maverick. ⚠️ Full briefing not confirmed. |
| Terminal Prosecution | A criminal element has been raiding the system for weeks. Clear them out. |
| Under Siege (added Sept 2, 2026) | Answer a distress call from a planetary settlement. Lift the blockade and stop the enemy force taking it. |
Each has multiple stages, mixing ship combat and on-foot combat. Frontier plans to keep adding more.
On Foot
| Item | Why |
|---|---|
| Upgraded suit and weapons | Go to Pioneer Supplies first (Module 3). Grade matters. |
| Suit mods | Damage Resistance, Faster Shield Regen, Extra Ammo Capacity, Improved Battery Capacity |
| A Maverick suit on the team | Always bring one. NPC access levels are randomized. Sometimes you need the Arc Cutter to force doors, sometimes you do not. Bring it anyway so you do not soft lock the run. |
| Dominator for the rest | Two primaries plus a sidearm. One laser for shields, one kinetic for health. |
Locked cabinets appear in every operation. Locked doors appear in some.
In Ship
| Item | Why |
|---|---|
| Engineered everything | The NPC ships are engineered. Yours should be too (Module 1). |
| Combat ship | Krait Mk II, Python Mk II, Chieftain, Corsair (Module 5) |
| Shields and hull | You will get shot |
Squad
- Hard difficulty wants 3 or 4 squadmates with fully engineered gear.
- Solo is possible on easier settings, but you will feel it.
Rewards
**Merc Coin**
Cap of 9,999. Weekly earning limit of 1,000. Not purchasable with ARX. You also get a weekly bonus the first time you complete certain activities.
Credits
One preview report mentioned around 20M from a hard operation ⚠️
Ship engineering materials
Feeds Module 2
On-foot engineering materials
Feeds Module 3
Merits
Powerplay mode only (Module 12)
MercGear
- Merc Coin is not spent at one dedicated store. You spend it at existing vendors: ship modules through Outfitting, and blueprints from Engineers.
- Everything arrives at base level. You then take it to the matching engineer to upgrade it, which costs materials and more Merc Coin.
- Who to see: match the module to its engineer (Module 1). For example, the Seeker Missile Rack MercGear goes to Petra Olmanova in Colonia.
- Community verdict so far: mostly pre-engineered or Community Goal style items like cargo racks, plus a few new things nobody has judged yet. ⚠️
Known MercGear
| Item | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Thermal Plasma Conversion | Converts part of your damage to plasma on beam, pulse, and burst lasers. Costs power. |
| Enduring Feedback Rail Gun | Better reload, heat, range, and ammo. Includes the Feedback Cascade effect. Costs mass, power, and damage. |
| Double Screaming Fragment Cannon | More ammo, clip size, burst size, and faster reload. Costs range, rate of fire, mass, and power. |
| Lockdown Seeker Missile Rack | More ammo, clip size, and integrity, less heat. Costs power, mass, rate of fire, and damage. |
| Long Range Mining Laser | More range, less power, distributor draw, and heat. Costs integrity and damage. |
| Far-Reaching Abrasion Blaster | Faster shots and more range, less power and heat. Costs integrity. |
| Scoop Rate Enhanced | Faster fuel scooping. Costs power. |
| Support Focused Power Distributor | More engine and systems capacity and charge. Costs weapons charge rate. |
| Balanced Power Distributor | Moderate rate and charge increase, less power draw. Costs mass and integrity. |
| Extended Cargo Rack | More cargo capacity |
| Long Range Detailed Surface Scanner | Better probe radius. Costs mass and power. |
| Heavy Duty Module Reinforcement Package | More module protection. Costs mass. |
Gotchas
- You must be docked to select an operation or invite anyone.
- NPC access levels are randomized. Bring the Maverick even when you think you will not need it.
- Squad Leader's Power sets the targets in Powerplay mode.
- Unaligned players get no merits in Powerplay mode.
- The weekly Merc Coin cap is 1,000. You cannot rush the MercGear grind.
- It launched as a beta. Frontier said rewards, balance, connectivity, and server performance may keep changing.
- Known bugs (September 2026): Under Siege can complete early, and the on-foot wing UI is missing. Both were flagged for a hotfix.
Needs Checking ⚠️
| Item | Why | Where to Check |
|---|---|---|
| Reward amounts | Frontier called the preview numbers "work in progress and not final." Players say payouts feel random. | Frontier patch notes |
| Merc Coin costs for each MercGear item | Not documented publicly | In game Outfitting and Engineers |
| Difficulty names and exact tiers | Two options exist. Names unclear. | In game |
| Which engineer upgrades which MercGear | Only the Olmanova and Seeker Missile Rack link is confirmed | In game |
| New operations | Frontier plans to keep adding them. Under Siege was the first. | Frontier news |
| Solo viability per operation | Community reports vary | Player forums |
Sources
| Source | Used For |
|---|---|
| Frontier: An Update on Operations (April 2026) | Modes, Runner, squad rules, matchmaking, reward types, original scenario list |
| Frontier: Operations update notes (4.4.0.0, June 2026) | Full MercGear list, Merc Coin spending at existing vendors, base level upgrade rule |
| Frontier: 4.4.1.0 update notes (September 2026) | Under Siege, known bugs, MercGear engineering fixes, Olmanova link |
| Elite Dangerous Wiki (Fandom): Operations | 7 operation names, Merc Coin caps, gear advice, randomized NPC access, Maverick advice, launch date |
| Simulation Daily (September 2026) | Under Siege description |
| Steam discussions: "Operations payouts" (June 2026) | Community verdict on MercGear, 20M credit report, weekly cap |
Cross links
Module 1 (Engineers for MercGear)Module 2 (Ship materials)Module 3 (Suits and on-foot gear)Module 5 (Combat ships)Module 9 (Money loops)Module 12 (Powerplay merits)