Hot on the heels of the debut of The Escapist’s The Making of EVE Online documentary, CCP Games has revealed the future of the sprawling space MMO, including a release date for the next expansion and details of the upcoming FPS module, Vanguard. The expansion, called Havoc, focuses on a pair of pirate factions and a new system, while Vanguard will integrate with the larger factional conflicts within the game.
In Havoc, you’ll have the option to side with either the Angel Cartel or Guristas, with both factions challenging you to go behind enemy lines and perform insurgencies to shake up the warzones. Both factions are based in the new Zarzakh system, which is controlled by the Deathless, though CCP is yet to go into depth about this character. The expansion will also introduce new ships (including the Angel Titan), reworked and streamlined Corporation Projects, and a selection of new customization options and quality-of-life improvements.
More details will be revealed at further EVE Fanfest 2023 panels over the weekend, ahead of the expansion’s launch on November 14, 2023.
Meanwhile EVE Vanguard completely shakes up the gameplay by bringing human-scale, boots-on-the-ground FPS combat to the EVE Online universe. In that, it builds on what CCP has previously attempted with Dust 514 and Project Nova, though it’s not directly connected to either of those efforts. The game will be connected with EVE Online from day one, with the activities of players influencing the broader economies and politics through Frontline Corruption. It sounds like CCP is going all-in on this new module, with plans for additional content and connectedness.
You can hear more about the ambitions for EVE Vanguard in the video below, with gameplay beginning from the 50-minute mark:
EVE Online Omega players will be able to test EVE Vanguard beginning in December 2023. A final, fully public release date hasn’t yet been locked in. This new module is being developed in Unreal Engine 5, while EVE Online is soon to be upgraded to CCP’s new, bespoke Carbon Engine, which will improve the graphics and underlying technologies.
