Elite: Dangerous players reckon the Thargoids are, finally, coming to the space game.

The Thargoids are a mysterious alien race that starred in the old Elite games. They weren't in Elite: Dangerous, however.

Now, it looks like the Thargoids will soon make an appearance after players discovered mysterious probes in the game.

When scanned, these probes emit an electromagnetic pulse that temporarily incapacitates the scanning ship. This pulse is followed by a brief burst of sound similar to the "chittering" produced by Elite's "Unknown Artefacts", which are considered alien in nature.

The video, below, shows one such encounter.

This content is hosted on an external platform, which will only display it if you accept targeting cookies. Please enable cookies to view. Manage cookie settings

The Elite: Dangerous community, excited by recent developments, have analysed this pulse and discovered an encrypted image, below (via r/EliteDangerous).

The unknown probe sound decoded.

This image, players believe, depicts interstellar bodies, which can mean only one thing: the Thargoids are coming.

It's a pretty cool in-universe reveal for the long-awaited Thargoids. As some players have noticed, the decoded audio from the Unknown Probe looks visually similar to Voyager's golden record (again, via r/EliteDangerous).

So, what do we know about the Thargoids? In previous Elite games they were an insectoid alien race who came from outside of known space. They're considered hostile and aggressive, and have been described as "relentless killing machines". The image below shows off a Thargoid space ship taken from 1995's Frontier: First Encounters.

Elite: Dangerous players have taken the hunt for the Thargoids pretty seriously since the game came out in December 2014. There's even an in-universe website called Cannonn Research built by players who are dedicated to the pursuit.

Now, the Elite: Dangerous community is trying to work out how to manage "first contact" with the Thargoids. Here's one thought, from player GregoryGoose.

"We absolutely are not equipped to fight them. The probes have infiltrated our ships' systems... without difficulty. Our intel has been exposed. We are in a very weak position.

"So I suggest we submit; offer up our most private places - every last one.

"I suggest that when the aliens first appear each of us thinks of his or her most shameful secret so that the creatures may sift through them for their voyeuristic pleasure.

"We must also offer ourselves up physically. Is everyone here familiar with the primate custom of presenting?

"Have we decided on a standard greeting yet? May I suggest one?

"We are lost. We are exposed. Should we beg? Do not strike at us! We are completely vulnerable... we are yours. All that we have, is yours. Money, our women... I would dance for you. Outside this fragile vessel, in the cold dark of space we have no hope of survival. Don't kick us into the void."