Fans who have kept up to date with The Outer Worlds know that the next DLC slated for release, Murder on Eridanos, will come out some time in 2021. For now, all players really know is that Murder on Eridanos will revolve around Halcyon Helen’s final adventure on the planet of the same name.
Eridanos is already on the map, which is different from The Outer Worlds' Peril on Gorgon DLC as it added the Gorgon asteroid to the top of the map. When players currently scroll over the planet, it’s locked and gives a little lore into the history of the planet. However, given Eridanos’ connection to Greek mythology and its in-game lore, there are a few key things players might be able to expect from this planet in the upcoming DLC.
Eridanos According to The Outer Worlds
According to The Outer Worlds map, Eridanos is the second largest gas giant planet in Halcyon, rivaled only by the planet Olympus. The atmosphere around Eridanos contains lots of helium, hydrogen, and other noble gases, so there are different distillation plants around the planet that harvest the gases for energy.
If fans have played Peril on Gorgon, they’ll know that Olympus is home to a secret Auntie Cleo’s Pharmaceutical Station that’s not on the planet’s surface, but orbits the planet in its atmosphere. Seeing as Eridanos is described as having similar orbital facilities, it’s not unlikely that players will gain access to the facility and get to explore it similarly to the way Obsidian introduced Ambrose Manor in Peril on Gorgon. In fact, players could have access to both an orbital station and the planet’s surface, unlike Olympus, but similar to the Gorgon asteroid and its two landing choices.
The character Halcyon Helen may not be immediately recognizable to players because she’s only featured on a loading screen on Monarch. Helen is a fictional protagonist in the serial Terror on Monarch, which apparently ran for twelve episodes and featured beasts “from the doomed world”—presumably native creatures like Raptidons or Mantiqueens. In fact, a Raptidon is featured in the poster, lurking behind a pistol-toting Halcyon Helen. Looking to the Greek mythology that probably inspired Murder on Eridanos, players may have a good idea of how the plot of the next DLC will turn out.
RELATED: The Best Halloween Deals for the PC
The Mythology of Eridanos
Interestingly enough, the word “Eridanos” itself does not directly correlate with any Greek mythology. However, it does take inspiration from the term “Eridanus,” which is both a constellation and ancient Grecian river. Where Eridanos has no direct stories, Eridanus has some interesting lore that could color The Outer Worlds in a very exciting way. The most notable of the stories is that of Phaethon.
Phaethon thought his father was the sun god Helios, and to prove it he tried to drive the sky chariot because only the offspring of Helios could successfully pilot it. However, his attempt failed, and he ended up scorching the Earth instead. To stop him, Zeus struck him with a thunderbolt, sending him plummeting into the river Eridanus and creating a dangerous, toxic marsh in his wake.
This story has some unique landscape implications for the surface of Eridanos, especially because the map doesn’t specify that the land is uninhabitable. The planet’s environment could be reminiscent of Monarch and its sulfur pools, where players have to take care to avoid toxic marshes on Eridanos. In a style similar to Peril on Gorgon, players could have landing options to explore both an orbital space station or the planet’s surface and follow the path laid by Halcyon Helen.
Drawing inspiration from Phaethon’s story, it’s possible that Halcyon Helen may have tried to solve the mystery of the Murder on Eridanos but was stopped—presumably by one of The Board corporations who didn’t want their secrets getting out. However, how Helen plays into the plotline of the next DLC is still highly speculated, with no answers coming anytime soon. Keeping the already established lore and Greek mythology in mind may give fans an extra advantage when predicting what Murder on Eridanos will be about.
The Outer Worlds: Murder on Eridanos will be released in 2021 for the PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.