Elite Dangerous commanders are encountering increased difficulty in efficiently grinding merits to advance their ranks. Recent game updates have nerfed or fixed many of the previously effective methods, leaving slower alternatives that can require around 80 hours to reach maximum rank. Players on community forums express frustration, especially those who prefer to avoid on-foot gameplay, which remains a less favored option for merit farming. This ongoing challenge highlights the impact of balancing changes on progression pacing and suggests commanders should plan their rank advancement with these slower grind realities in mind.
- Many efficient merit grind methods have been nerfed or fixed.
- Alternative methods now require approximately 80 hours to reach max rank.