View source for Eve Online

{{Short description|2003 massively multiplayer online video game}}
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{{more citations needed|date=October 2021}}
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{{Infobox video game
|title     = Eve Online
|image     = EVE online logo.svg
|developer = [[CCP Games]]
|publisher = {{vgrelease|NA|[[Simon & Schuster Interactive]]|UK|Crucial Entertainment (2003)}}CCP Games (2004–present)<br>[[Atari, Inc. (1993–present)|Atari]] (2009 retail release)<ref name="eve_atari_boxed_version">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/21025|title=News article "Atari Signs EVE Online Retail Deal"|access-date=November 10, 2008|author=[[Gamasutra]]|work=gamasutra.com|publisher=[[United Business Media]]|archive-date=December 19, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141219105918/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/21025|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|producer  = Andie Nordgren
|released  = '''Windows'''{{Video game release|NA|May 6, 2003|UK|May 6, 2003|EU|May 23, 2003}}'''Linux, <!-- actually technically [[Mac OS X]], link/pipe it? --> macOS'''{{vgrelease|WW|November 6, 2007}}
|genre     = [[Space trading and combat]], [[massively multiplayer online role-playing game]]
|engine    = [[Carbon Game Engine|Carbon]]
|modes     = [[Multiplayer video game|Multiplayer]]
|platforms = [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[Linux]] (Discontinued), [[macOS]]
}}
'''''Eve Online''''' (stylised '''''EVE Online''''') is a [[space trading and combat game|space-based]], [[persistent-world]] [[massively-multiplayer online role-playing game]] (MMORPG) developed and published by [[CCP Games]]. Players of ''Eve Online'' can participate in a number of in-game professions and activities, including [[mining]], [[piracy]], [[manufacturing]], [[Trader (finance)|trading]], [[space exploration|exploration]], and [[space warfare|combat]] (both [[player versus environment]] (PVE) and [[player versus player]] (PVP)). The game contains a total of 7,800 star systems that can be visited by players.<ref name="joystiq_odyssey">{{cite news |last=Drain |first=Brian |date=March 31, 2013 |title=EVE Evolved: EVE's Odyssey expansion could be incredible |url=http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/31/eve-evolved-eves-odyssey-expansion-could-be-incredible/ |newspaper=[[Massively (blog)|Massively]] |access-date=December 15, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128021552/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/03/31/eve-evolved-eves-odyssey-expansion-could-be-incredible/ |archive-date=January 28, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="rhea_patch_notes">{{cite web |title=Patch Notes For Rhea |url=http://community.eveonline.com/news/patch-notes/patch-notes-for-rhea |author=[[CCP Games]] |publisher=eveonline.com |access-date=December 14, 2014 |archive-date=December 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214205018/http://community.eveonline.com/news/patch-notes/patch-notes-for-rhea |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The game is renowned for its scale and complexity in regard to player interactions. In its single, shared game world, players engage in unscripted economic competition, warfare, and political schemes with other players.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/most-important-pc-games/10/ |title=The 50 most important PC games of all time |last=Savage |first=Phil |magazine=PC Gamer |date=January 18, 2016 |access-date=November 28, 2016 |archive-date=January 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117041053/https://www.pcgamer.com/most-important-pc-games/10/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Bloodbath of B-R5RB]], a battle involving thousands of players in a single star system, took 21 hours and was recognized as one of the largest and most expensive battles in gaming history.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.polygon.com/2014/1/30/5360208/Eve-Onlines-Bloodbath |title=Eve Online's Bloodbath of B-R5RB cost up to $330,000 |last=Pitcher |first=Jenna |year=2014 |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |access-date=November 28, 2016 |archive-date=February 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210219024244/https://www.polygon.com/2014/1/30/5360208/Eve-Onlines-Bloodbath |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Eve Online'' was exhibited at the [[Museum of Modern Art]] with a video including the historical events and accomplishments of the playerbase.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://venturebeat.com/2015/05/12/eve-online-exhibit-to-become-a-permanent-fixture-at-new-yorks-museum-of-modern-art/ |title=Eve Online exhibit to become a permanent fixture at New York's Museum of Modern Art |last=Takahashi |first=Dean |date=2015 |access-date=August 31, 2017 |archive-date=September 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908160859/http://venturebeat.com/2015/05/12/eve-online-exhibit-to-become-a-permanent-fixture-at-new-yorks-museum-of-modern-art/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

''Eve Online'' was released in North America and Europe in May 2003. It was published from May to December 2003 by [[Simon & Schuster Interactive]] in North America and by Crucial Entertainment in the United Kingdom,<ref name="ccp_pr_publisher">{{cite web|url=https://www.ccpgames.com/en/public-relations/press-releases/article/2257/new-release-date-for-eve-online-the-second-genesis-announced/ |title=CCP Games Press Release: New Release Date for Eve Online: The Second Genesis Announced |access-date=January 15, 2008 |author=CCP Games |date=March 6, 2003 |publisher=ccpgames.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910125930/http://www.ccpgames.com/en/public-relations/press-releases/article/2257/new-release-date-for-eve-online-the-second-genesis-announced |archive-date=September 10, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2003-03-27 |title=EVE Online hits another milestone |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/article-47630 |access-date=2024-01-22 |work=Eurogamer.net |language=en}}</ref> after which CCP purchased the rights and began to self-publish via a [[digital distribution]] scheme.<ref name="ccp_pr_publishbuyback">{{cite web|url=https://www.ccpgames.com/en/public-relations/press-releases/article/2263/eve-online-available-for-download/ |title=CCP Games Press Release: Eve Online Available for Download |access-date=December 14, 2014 |author=CCP Games |publisher=ccpgames.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910124400/http://www.ccpgames.com/en/public-relations/press-releases/article/2263/eve-online-available-for-download |archive-date=September 10, 2015 }}</ref> On January 22, 2008, it was announced that ''Eve Online'' would be distributed via [[Steam (service)|Steam]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://store.steampowered.com/news/1414/|title=Eve Online Puts the MMO in Steam|date=January 22, 2008|access-date=January 23, 2008|archive-date=October 7, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131007004530/http://store.steampowered.com/news/1414|url-status=live}}</ref> On March 10, 2009, the game was again made available in boxed form in stores, released by [[Atari, Inc. (1993–present)|Atari]].<ref name="eve_atari_boxed_version"/> In February 2013, ''Eve Online'' reached over 500,000 subscribers.<ref>{{cite web |title=EVE Online Passes Half a Million Subscribers |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/02/28/eve-online-passes-half-a-million-subscribers |date=February 28, 2013 |last=Macdonald |first=Keza |work=IGN |publisher=[[Ziff Davis, LLC]] |access-date=December 14, 2015 |archive-date=December 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151217041932/http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/02/28/eve-online-passes-half-a-million-subscribers |url-status=live }}</ref> On November 11, 2016, ''Eve Online'' added a limited [[free-to-play]] version.<ref>{{cite web|title=eve-online-is-now-free-to-play|date=November 16, 2016 |url=https://www.engadget.com/2016/11/16/eve-online-is-now-free-to-play/|access-date=November 19, 2016|archive-date=November 19, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161119182047/https://www.engadget.com/2016/11/16/eve-online-is-now-free-to-play/|url-status=live}}</ref>

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==Background==
Set more than 21,000 years in the future, the background story of ''Eve Online'' explains that humanity, having used up most of Earth's resources through centuries of explosive population growth, began colonizing the rest of the [[Milky Way]].<ref name="eve_background">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/background/ |title=Eve Online background story page |access-date=January 15, 2008 |author=CCP Games |publisher=eveonline.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090222195922/http://www.eveonline.com/background/ |archive-date=February 22, 2009 }}</ref> As on Earth, this expansion also led to competition and fighting over available resources, but everything changed with the discovery of a natural wormhole leading to an unexplored galaxy subsequently dubbed "New Eden". Dozens of colonies were founded, and a structure, a gate of sorts (which bears the inscription "EVE" on the New Eden side), was built to stabilize the wormhole that linked the colonies of New Eden with the rest of human civilization. However, when the wormhole unexpectedly collapsed, it destroyed the gate as well as the connection between the colonies of New Eden and the Milky Way. Cut off from the rest of humanity and supplies from Earth, the colonies of New Eden were left starving and disconnected from one another; many died out entirely. Over the millennia the descendants of the surviving colonists managed to rebuild their own societies, but by this time the memories and knowledge of humanity's origins, of Earth and the Milky Way galaxy, as well as the history of the settling of New Eden, were lost; what little information that survived transmission over the generations was misunderstood, lost in translation, or consigned to mythology. Five major distinct societies rose to prominence from the surviving colonies, all growing into interstellar spaceflight-capable civilizations. The states based around these societies make up the five major empires in ''Eve Online'': the Amarr Empire, the Caldari State, the Gallente Federation, the Minmatar Republic, and the Jove Empire.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Empires|url=https://universe.eveonline.com/empires|access-date=2021-11-25|website=EVE Universe|language=en|archive-date=November 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125051734/https://universe.eveonline.com/empires|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Jove|url=https://universe.eveonline.com/lore/jove|access-date=2021-11-25|website=EVE Universe|language=en|archive-date=November 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125051737/https://universe.eveonline.com/lore/jove|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Races===
[[File:The four playable EVE races as seen during character creation.png|250px|thumb|left|The four playable races in ''Eve Online'' as seen on the character creation menus]]
The Amarr, a militantly theocratic empire, was the first of the playable races to rediscover faster-than-light travel.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amarr Empire |url=https://universe.eveonline.com/empires/amarr |access-date=2025-02-07 |website=EVE Universe |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Amarr |url=https://universe.eveonline.com/lore/amarr |access-date=2025-02-07 |website=EVE Universe |language=en}}</ref> In terms of physical proximity, the space occupied by this society is physically nearest to the demolished EVE gate. Armed with this new technology and the strength of their faith in their god, the Amarr expanded their empire by conquering and enslaving several races, including the Minmatar race, who had only just begun colonizing other planets. Generations later, after the intense culture shock of encountering the Gallente Federation, and in the wake of a disastrous attempted invasion of Jovian space, many Minmatar took the opportunity to rebel and successfully overthrew their enslavers, forming their own government.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Minmatar Republic |url=https://universe.eveonline.com/empires/minmatar |access-date=2025-02-07 |website=EVE Universe |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Minmatar |url=https://universe.eveonline.com/lore/minmatar |access-date=2025-02-07 |website=EVE Universe |language=en}}</ref> However, much of their population remain enslaved by the Amarr, and some, having adopted the Amarrian religion and sided with their masters during the revolution, were released from bondage and incorporated into the Empire as commoners in the Ammatar Mandate.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ammatar Mandate |url=https://universe.eveonline.com/factions/ammatar-mandate |access-date=2025-02-07 |website=EVE Universe |language=en}}</ref> The free Minmatar Republic, taking as inspiration the ideals and practices of the Gallente Federation, is presently a strong military and economic power actively seeking the emancipation of their brethren and all other slaves.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />

The Gallente and the Caldari homeworlds are situated in the same star system.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gallente Federation |url=https://universe.eveonline.com/empires/gallente |access-date=2025-02-07 |website=EVE Universe |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Gallente |url=https://universe.eveonline.com/lore/gallente |access-date=2025-02-07 |website=EVE Universe |language=en}}</ref> The Gallente homeworld was originally settled by descendants of the French colonists of [[Tau Ceti]]; Caldari Prime on the other hand was purchased by a multinational megacorporation that began to terraform it.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Caldari State |url=https://universe.eveonline.com/empires/caldari |access-date=2025-02-07 |website=EVE Universe |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=Caldari |url=https://universe.eveonline.com/lore/caldari |access-date=2025-02-07 |website=EVE Universe |language=en}}</ref> The [[terraforming]] of Caldari Prime was incomplete at the time of the EVE wormhole's collapse, hence the planet remained environmentally inhospitable for millennia. The Gallente restored themselves to a high-functioning technological society some hundred years before the Caldari, building the first lastingly democratic republic of New Eden in the form of the Gallente Federation. Originally the Caldari composed a member race within the Federation, but cultural animosity between the two peoples spiralled into a war during which the Caldari seceded from the Federation to found their own Caldari State. The war lasted 93 years, with neither nation able to overwhelm the other.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" /> The planet Caldari Prime was initially retained by the Gallente Federation during the war, and did not become part of the new Caldari State. A Caldari offensive later managed to recapture their lost homeworld, a fact which was viewed with abhorrence by the Gallente, who saw the presence of a significant Caldari fleet about the planet as a mass hostage taking. After 5 years of Caldari control over Caldari Prime, the Gallente launched their own offensive to retake the planet through the destruction of the Caldari Leviathan-Class Titan ''Shiigeru''. They successfully destroyed ''Shiigeru'', although the planet is now demilitarized and separated into districts split between Caldari and Gallente control.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Caldari Prime |url=https://universe.eveonline.com/lore/caldari-prime |access-date=2025-02-07 |website=EVE Universe |language=en}}</ref>

Both the Gallente Federation and Caldari State are economy- and trade-oriented nations. However, the Gallente favor [[Economic liberalism|liberal economic]] policies, encourage individual [[entrepreneurship]] and [[social democracy]], and maintain a [[Progressivism|progressive]] approach to social welfare, whereas the Caldari State is organised as a form of [[statism|statist]] [[corporatocracy]]; the Caldari State itself is owned by and operated on behalf of a few [[Trust (monopoly)|trust]]-like megaconglomerates. The Gallente Federation's official policies regarding multiculturalism and encouragement of diversity attract many immigrants to Gallente space; a third of all ethnic Minmatars reside as citizens there. As the Caldari did not share this enthusiasm for diversity with the Gallente, the Caldari State at the time of its formation found itself at a relative population deficit compared to its Gallente adversary; rather than encourage massive immigration to and diversity within the State, this population shortage was rectified by a Statewide programme of artificial reproduction, producing a generation of so-called 'Tube Children' raised by the Caldari State apparatus to enlarge the labour pools available to the megacorporations that ruled the State.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":5" />

The Jovians (a non-playable race) were also descended from colonists. Unlike the other races of ''Eve Online'', they maintained a relatively high-functioning technological society after the collapse of the EVE wormhole and did not need to spend millennia rediscovering ancient societal developments as the others did, and while the other four major races were still grounded, Jovian history saw two major periods of spacefaring imperialism.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jove Empire |url=https://universe.eveonline.com/factions/jove-empire |access-date=2025-02-07 |website=EVE Universe |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Jove |url=https://universe.eveonline.com/lore/jove |access-date=2025-02-07 |website=EVE Universe |language=en}}</ref> They expanded outward and eventually turned to genetic engineering in order to mold themselves into a species more suited for deep-space life and long-range interstellar exploration. Genetic experimentation and manipulation were not without their drawbacks, however: by the time period in which players enter the ''Eve Online'' universe, millennia of human genetic manipulation have rendered the Jovians barely recognizable as human; more critically, the Jovian manipulation of their genome has resulted in the eventually fatal "Jovian Disease", an inherited psychological disorder which, despite the best efforts of the Jovians to reverse it, has affected every individual of the Jovian race and thus crippled their civilization. Having experienced a catastrophic population decline (the Jovian societal structure is believed to be barely maintained by their immensely-advanced technological systems), the Jovians have effectively retreated to inhabit a region of space inaccessible to outsiders.<ref name=":6" />

In addition to different backgrounds and histories, the races have characteristic philosophies of starship design. Minmatar ships tend to be quite fast but fragile, and rely on their high speed and maneuverability to evade the tracking systems of heavier weapons, while using combinations of [[missile launchers]] and projectile weapons (such as artillery or autocannons – the more sophisticated kin of [[Gun|today's munitions technology]]) to output high amounts of damage.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Minmatar Basic Ship and Skill Overview - EVE University Wiki |url=https://wiki.eveuniversity.org/Minmatar_Basic_Ship_and_Skill_Overview |access-date=2025-02-07 |website=wiki.eveuniversity.org}}</ref> Amarr ships are ponderous, densely armored, and pack batteries of powerful [[laser]]-based energy weapons and energy neutralizers, which drain the power of enemy ships.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Amarr Basic Ship and Skill Overview - EVE University Wiki |url=https://wiki.eveuniversity.org/Amarr_Basic_Ship_and_Skill_Overview |access-date=2025-02-07 |website=wiki.eveuniversity.org}}</ref> Gallente ships are sleek and designed to favor armor plating; they specialize in deploying fleets of robotic drones while mounting hybrid weapons that operate using superconducting magnets to accelerate mass toward targets at great speed (see [[railgun]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gallente Basic Ship and Skill Overview - EVE University Wiki |url=https://wiki.eveuniversity.org/Gallente_Basic_Ship_and_Skill_Overview |access-date=2025-02-07 |website=wiki.eveuniversity.org}}</ref> Finally, Caldari ships are typically poorly armored and not particularly fast but utilize powerful energy shields, and make extensive use of [[Missile launcher|torpedo and/or missile launchers]] and hybrid weapons, favoring engagement at extreme ranges.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Caldari Basic Ship and Skill Overview - EVE University Wiki |url=https://wiki.eveuniversity.org/Caldari_Basic_Ship_and_Skill_Overview |access-date=2025-02-07 |website=wiki.eveuniversity.org}}</ref> However, there are exceptions to these general rules in each race.

==Gameplay==
Players start the game by either selecting a previously created character or by creating a new one. Each ''Eve Online'' account allows for up to three characters.<ref name="player_guide_char_creation">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/guide/en/mn03.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080822065509/http://www.eveonline.com/guide/en/mn03.asp|archive-date=August 22, 2008|title=Eve Online Player Guide, Chapter 3, Character Creation|access-date=September 3, 2008|publisher=eveonline.com}}</ref> When a player creates a new character, they start by choosing one of the four playable races – Amarr, Gallente, Minmatar, or Caldari. Each race is further divided into three bloodlines that give characters different pre-defined appearances, which can be finely tuned by the player.

Unlike many other MMOs, where there are numerous copies of the game universe intended to run at once (i.e., servers), ''Eve Online'' is functionally a single-universe game. There are at least four copies of the universe running: the main server "Tranquility", the Chinese-based "Serenity", the test server "Singularity" (also "Sisi") which is a general, public test server, and an event server, "Thunderdome", which is used for tournaments.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Singularity |title=EVE Online Singularity server |access-date=April 8, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100314154000/http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Singularity |archive-date=March 14, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://community.eveonline.com/support/test-servers/test-servers-overview/|title=Test servers|access-date=September 26, 2022|archive-date=September 26, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220926083910/https://community.eveonline.com/support/test-servers/test-servers-overview/|url-status=live}}</ref> A new test server was announced called "Buckingham" to replace "Singularity" as the main ''EVE Online'' test server while "Singularity" was used for ''[[Dust 514]]''/''EVE Online'' joint testing. As ''Dust 514'' is no longer active, "Singularity" is now the main test server again and "Buckingham" is a closed test server for the CCP developers.<ref name="buckinghamstatus">{{cite web|url=http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Buckingham |title=Buckingham - EVElopedia |access-date=June 3, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130310220503/http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Buckingham |archive-date=March 10, 2013 }}</ref>

===Universe===
The playing environment in ''Eve Online'' consists of more than 5000 star systems,<ref name="DevBlog498">{{cite web|url=http://community.eveonline.com/news/dev-blogs/econ-dev-blog-market-overview-for-mineral-markets/|title=Econ Dev Blog – Market Overview for Mineral Markets|access-date=December 14, 2014|last=Guðmundsson|first=Eyjólfur|date=August 3, 2007|publisher=eveonline.com|archive-date=December 14, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214203829/http://community.eveonline.com/news/dev-blogs/econ-dev-blog-market-overview-for-mineral-markets/|url-status=dead}}</ref> as well as 2500 randomly accessible wormhole systems, taking place in the year 23,341.<ref name="apocrypha_blog">{{cite web|url=http://wiki.eveonline.com/wiki/Apocrypha |title=Apocrypha – EVElopedia – The EVE Online Wiki |publisher=Wiki.eveonline.com |access-date=April 21, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100115205956/http://wiki.eveonline.com/wiki/Apocrypha |archive-date=January 15, 2010 }}</ref> Systems are classified by their Security Status, on a decimal scale from −1.0 to 1.0.<ref name="syssecurity">{{cite web|url=http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/System_security |title=System security |access-date=October 23, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111107170010/http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/System_security |archive-date=November 7, 2011 }}</ref><ref name="0.0security">{{cite web|url=http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/0.0 |title=0.0 |access-date=October 23, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015042935/http://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/0.0 |archive-date=October 15, 2011 }}</ref><ref name="allakhazamsecurity">{{cite web|url=http://eve.allakhazam.com/wiki/EVE_Guide_Security_Status_Explained|title=EVE Guide Security Status Explained|access-date=October 23, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115023942/http://eve.allakhazam.com/wiki/EVE_Guide_Security_Status_Explained|archive-date=January 15, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> These systems are categorized into three groups, each determining the response from CONCORD ('''Con'''solidated '''Co'''-operation and '''R'''elations Comman'''d''') [[Non-player character|NPC]] law enforcement units.<ref name="chronicle_concord">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/background/potw/jul04.asp |title=Chronicle "CONCORD" |access-date=December 15, 2008 |author=CCP Games |publisher=eveonline.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090307031807/http://www.eveonline.com/background/potw/jul04.asp |archive-date=March 7, 2009 }}</ref> Star systems classed as 0.5–1.0 security are considered "high security" and any unauthorized/unprovoked attack by a character on another character anywhere in the system will result in the appearance of law enforcement. These units will attack and destroy the aggressor, and are designed to reinforce in such strength that they will always win an engagement. However, CONCORD is not preventive, but punitive, meaning there is a short window between beginning an attack and getting destroyed where a player (or group of) can destroy another player's ship. Systems classified as 0.1–0.4 are considered "low security", where CONCORD law enforcement units will not destroy aggressors, but do monitor unprovoked acts of aggression and have automated sentry guns in some locations. Unprovoked attacks will flag the aggressor as a free target for other players, and attacks within sight of sentry guns will cause them to fire on the aggressor. Systems classified 0.0 to −1.0 are called "zero space" or "null sec", and feature no law enforcement; individual systems, or groups of systems, may be controlled by player alliances, up to the creation of player-owned empires reaching across entire "regions" (an aggregate group of star systems). Wormhole systems are accessible only by wormholes that randomly appear and disappear, and are also lawless space, showing as −1.0. However, player-run corporations cannot claim sovereignty in wormhole systems. Star systems contain different types of celestial objects, making them more or less suitable for different kinds of operations. Typically, players find asteroid fields, planets, stations, stargates, and moons in a system. Many of the game's most profitable income sources are found in dangerous null or low security systems, giving players incentive to engage in high-risk, high-reward activities in which they must survive the possible harassment of other players who may also enter the system.{{Citation needed|date=September 2016}}

===Combat and travel===
[[Image:Eve Online - Empyrean Age screenshot.jpg|300px|thumb|An artist's rendering of ''Rifter''-class frigates after a successful attack against an ''Armageddon''-class battleship]]
The game's primary mode of play is flying space ships. Players can dock at stations, where they are safe and can use station services such as repairing, refitting, and the regional market. All space combat takes place in real time at sub-light speeds from around 100&nbsp;m/s to in excess of 8000&nbsp;m/s, depending on ship size and setup. While players can manually control their ships as in space combat simulators such as ''[[Wing Commander (video game)|Wing Commander]]'' or ''[[Star Wars: X-Wing (video game)|X-Wing]]'' following the release of the Rhea expansion on December 9, 2014, most opt instead to give commands such as Orbit, Approach or Align to their flight computer, which does its best to comply. Weapon aiming, however, cannot be done manually; instead, the player locks on to an opponent and orders their weapons to fire, and the result is determined through calculations based on factors such as range, velocity, weapon tracking, and a degree of randomness.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

Travel across distances longer than hundreds of kilometers is mostly done with the ship's Warp Drive, which every ship and escape pod has. Alternatively a player may also choose to "slow boat" across these kind of distances, that is, traveling without warp drive. To warp, the player issues a command to warp to an object greater than 150&nbsp;km away and in the same star system; after an alignment maneuver, their ship will enter warp. Warp speeds are measured in [[astronomical unit]]s per second and vary by ship class and fittings. A ship's warp drive can be temporarily disabled by warp disruption weapons, which is an essential part of combat to prevent a target from escaping.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

For most ships, travel between star systems is only possible by using structures called "Stargates". Each stargate is linked to a partner stargate in another system; most star systems have more than two stargates<!--two: entry and exit. only dead-ends are exceptions, of which there are few.-->, forming a network through which players travel. While players can travel to any number of destinations in individual systems, the need to use stargates to travel between systems makes them focal points for combat.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

Besides using Stargates, capital ships can also utilize jump drives, which require another ship to create a "Cynosural Field" which the capital ship can then jump to. While this allows the capital ship to travel instantaneously, it requires a trusted second party (or an alternate account) to create the beacon. Jump drives also consume fuel (in contrast to stargates, which require nothing), drain the ship of its capacitor, leaving it nearly defenseless until it is recharged, and incur "jump fatigue", which prevents the pilot from jumping for progressively longer periods of time after each consecutive jump. Titans are also capable of allowing other ships to instantaneously travel by creating temporary bridges to cynosural fields. Black Ops battleships can create similar, but undetectable, bridges capable of transporting only specific types of stealth ships such as Stealth Bombers.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

Player-run corporations that claim sovereignty over two null sec systems within range of each other can also set up a jump bridge at a player owned starbase (POS) that is in orbit of a moon. Jump bridges allow instantaneous travel to the other system's jump bridge, at the cost of using fuel (requiring supply by the owning corporation) scaled to the mass of ships that use them. This also leads to the accumulation of jump fatigue. As the aging POS systems & code have been phased out of the game, a deployable structure has effectively replaced the old jump bridge. However, unlike the old POS jump bridges, it allows players to customize who may use the gate based on settings such as standings or corporation / alliance affiliation. It also does not need to be deployed in a POS, and as such is often deployed near player owned Citadel structures.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

===Advancement===
Unlike other [[massively multiplayer online game]]s, player characters in ''Eve Online'' advance continuously over time by training skills, a passive process that occurs in real world time so that the learning process continues even if the player is not logged in.<ref name="eve_playerguide_skills">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/guide/en/g615.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080618100257/http://www.eveonline.com/guide/en/g615.asp|archive-date=June 18, 2008|title=Eve Online Player Guide, Chapter 6, Skills Guide|access-date=February 24, 2008|author=CCP Games|publisher=eveonline.com}}</ref> The skill training queue allows up to 50 skills to be scheduled, with up to a 10-year total training schedule. Before the November 4, 2014 "Phoebe" release, the skill training queue allowed skills to be scheduled to start training only up to 24&nbsp;hours in the future.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://community.eveonline.com/news/dev-blogs/longer-queues-expected-skill-training-above-and-beyond-24-hours/|title=Longer Queues Expected: Skill Training Above and Beyond 24 Hours|date=October 28, 2014|access-date=November 23, 2014|archive-date=November 29, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129091856/http://community.eveonline.com/news/dev-blogs/longer-queues-expected-skill-training-above-and-beyond-24-hours/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Some skills require other prerequisite skills to be trained to a certain level to be trained, and some skills require more time to train than others; for example, the skill to fly a Titan-class spaceship takes 8 times as long to train as the skill to fly a frigate ship, with a significant number of prerequisite skills.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

Until the Odyssey expansion, it was not possible to train more than one character per account at the same time. Odyssey introduced "Dual Character Training", which allows players to expend PLEX (see [[#Accounts and subscriptions|accounts and subscriptions]]) in order to allow that account to train a second character for 30 days, equivalent to paying for a 30-day subscription on another account to train a single character.<ref name="eve_dual_charactertraining">{{cite web|author=CCP Quant|title=Dual Character Training|publisher=CCP Games|date=May 15, 2013|url=http://community.eveonline.com/news/dev-blogs/dual-character-training/|access-date=November 11, 2013|archive-date=November 11, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111093348/http://community.eveonline.com/news/dev-blogs/dual-character-training/|url-status=live}}</ref> Odyssey 1.2 introduced the more generalized "Multiple Character Training" which allows players to expend more PLEX to activate this feature for a third character on the account.<ref name="eve_multi_charactertraining">{{cite web|author=CCP Xhagen|title=Multiple Character Training|publisher=CCP Games|date=October 18, 2013|url=http://community.eveonline.com/news/dev-blogs/multiple-character-training/|access-date=November 11, 2013|archive-date=November 11, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111093317/http://community.eveonline.com/news/dev-blogs/multiple-character-training/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Economy===
The [[virtual economy|in-game economy]] in ''Eve Online'' is an [[open economy]] that is largely player-driven. [[Non-player character]] (NPC) merchants sell skill books used by players to learn new skills and [[blueprint]]s to manufacture ships and [[Modularity|modules]]. NPC merchants also buy and sell Trade Goods. Some Trade Goods are only for trade between NPC merchants while others have a functional use and are not good for trade with NPCs. The characters themselves gather the necessary raw materials to manufacture almost all of the ships and ship modules in the game. NPC ships can be looted and salvaged for items and materials. Non-player created ships and equipment may be purchased from various NPC factions as a character gains status with them, and can be resold in the in-game economy. The in-game currency is ISK (Interstellar Kredits), which is also the [[ISO 4217|currency code]] of the [[Icelandic króna]], the real-world currency of Iceland, where the ''Eve Online'' development studio is located.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

The amount of money or materials in the universe is not fixed and, as such, the economy operates under [[supply and demand]]. [[Market manipulation]] is possible on a large scale, particular examples being [[ramping]] and [[bear raid]]s. CCP does not issue refunds on in-game purchases. Hence, there is always the risk of certain types of [[confidence trick]]s or other scams.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://community.eveonline.com/pnp/reimbursment.asp|title=Clause 8 of the Rules & Policies published by CCP|access-date=December 25, 2012|archive-date=December 8, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121208133436/http://community.eveonline.com/pnp/reimbursment.asp|url-status=live}}</ref> The economy is balanced by the automatic introduction of extra materials in underpopulated areas. This encourages a more even spread of players.<ref name="vern_hilmarpeturson_evecurrency">{{cite web|url=http://virtual-economy.org/blog/interview_with_ccp_eve_currenc |title=Virtual Economy Research Network: Interview with Hilmar Pétursson and Magnús Bergsson |access-date=January 15, 2008 |date=October 2, 2006 |first=Vili |last=Lehdonvirta |publisher=virtual-economy.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080131102331/http://virtual-economy.org/blog/interview_with_ccp_eve_currenc |archive-date=January 31, 2008 }}</ref>

The game provides support for the trading of in-game resources, including graphs of item price history, with [[Donchian channel|Donchian Channel]] and daily average price. Some player characters operate primarily as traders, generating profits through buying, selling, and transporting goods. Others operate primarily as producers, obtaining components or raw materials and transforming them, sometimes on massive scales, into useful items such as weapons, ships, ammunition, items, or various technologies in demand by other players. Some less combat-oriented players operate as miners or salvagers, collecting and processing ores used in manufacturing or collecting salvage materials to make into items, respectively. Finally, some characters operate as mercenaries or pirates, being paid primarily to be battle-ready and either to attack or defend other profitable enterprises.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

Unlike some games such as ''[[Second Life]]'', in-game currency is not freely convertible with real world currency. Players may only buy specific in-game items (such as Pilot License Extension (PLEX) tokens, 500 being redeemable for 30 days of Omega time) from CCP with real-world currency. The player can then sell the items on the in-game market for ISK (game currency). The reverse process, selling in-game currency or items for real-world money, is prohibited.<ref name="suspension_ban_policy">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/pnp/banning.asp|title=EVE Online Suspension and Ban Policy|access-date=February 20, 2011|publisher=ccpgames.com|archive-date=December 26, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101226073955/http://www.eveonline.com/pnp/banning.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref> The developers' reasoning for this policy, as related by a CCP representative at Fanfest 2010, is that free interchange of currency causes in-game banking to fall under the same regulatory domain as real-world banking. CCP prefers not place this restriction on in-game behavior, due both to the difficulty of regulatory enforcement and the desire to allow players to create illegitimate in-game banks or [[Ponzi schemes]] if they wish to do so.{{Citation needed|date=October 2011}}

Commentators have attempted to estimate the value of ''Eve Online'' entities in real-world currency based on the current value of PLEX. One such conversion valued a fleet-ready titan (the most powerful ship in the game) at [[US$]]7,600,<ref name="Jostiq-cost">{{cite web | url=http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/08/diagram-shows-real-world-cost-of-losing-ships-in-eve-online/ | title=Diagram shows real-world cost of losing ships in EVE Online | date=February 8, 2010 | access-date=January 31, 2013 | author=Drain, Brendan | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130129220121/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/02/08/diagram-shows-real-world-cost-of-losing-ships-in-eve-online | archive-date=January 29, 2013 | url-status=dead }}</ref> though estimates vary. Generally, no player expends such amounts of real-world currency to acquire such sums of in-game wealth, opting instead to do activities in-game that net high amounts of profit.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

In 2007, CCP was the first game developer to hire an economist, [[Eyjólfur Guðmundsson]], to oversee ''Eve''{{'}}s in-game economy. Guðmundsson was previously dean of the faculty of business and science at the University of Akureyri.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-04-18/multiplayer-game-eve-online-cultivates-a-most-devoted-following |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130419002437/http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-04-18/multiplayer-game-eve-online-cultivates-a-most-devoted-following |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 19, 2013 |title=Multiplayer Game 'Eve Online' Cultivates a Most Devoted Following |magazine=Businessweek |date=April 18, 2013 |access-date=July 28, 2013}}</ref> [[Eyjólfur Guðmundsson]] left CCP in 2014 to the position of [[Rector (academia)|Rector]] at the [[University of Akureyri]] in July 2014.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.mbl.is/frettir/innlent/2014/05/19/eyjolfur_naesti_rektor_ha/ |title=Eyjólfur next Rector HA |newspaper=Morgunblaðið |date=May 19, 2014 |access-date=January 8, 2015 |archive-date=January 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150110235120/http://www.mbl.is/frettir/innlent/2014/05/19/eyjolfur_naesti_rektor_ha/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Griefing===
<!--{{quote|text=DON'T TRUST ANYONE |sign=CCP Games |source=EVE Community Knowledge Base, Scams and exploits, Tips}}-->
Owing to the game's focus on freedom, consequence, and autonomy, many behaviours that are considered [[griefing]] in most MMOs are allowed in ''Eve''. This includes stealing from other players, extortion, and causing other players to be killed by large groups of NPCs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://community.eveonline.com/support/knowledge-base/article.aspx?articleId=34 |title=Scams and exploits |author=[[CCP Games]] |publisher=eveonline.com |access-date=January 15, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131122112420/http://community.eveonline.com/support/knowledge-base/article.aspx?articleId=34 |archive-date=November 22, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

Only malicious, prolonged and concentrated harassment where no material gain is involved and a few other actions are considered to be illicit griefing by the game's developers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://community.eveonline.com/support/knowledge-base/article.aspx?articleId=336 |title=Grief play |author=[[CCP Games]] |publisher=eveonline.com |date=July 20, 2010 |access-date=February 23, 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150304092931/http://community.eveonline.com/support/knowledge-base/article.aspx?articleId=336 |archive-date=March 4, 2015 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Escaping retribution by CONCORD, the NPC space police force that punishes criminal activity in higher security solar systems,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wiki.eveuniversity.org/CONCORD |title=CONCORD |author=EVE University |publisher=eveuniversity.org |access-date=February 23, 2018 |archive-date=February 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180224052939/https://wiki.eveuniversity.org/CONCORD |url-status=live }}</ref> for criminal actions is also forbidden, as CONCORD is intentionally designed by game mechanics to be unstoppable.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://support.eveonline.com/hc/en-us/articles/204873262-Known-Declared-Exploits|title=Known and Declared Exploits|author=[[CCP Games]]|publisher=eveonline.com|access-date=July 21, 2020|archive-date=February 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210211065210/https://support.eveonline.com/hc/en-us/articles/204873262-Known-Declared-Exploits|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Ships==
{{More citations needed section|date=March 2020}}
Ships in ''Eve Online'' are organized into classes, from tiny frigates only a few dozen meters in length to gigantic capital ships up to 17 kilometers long. Ships fill different roles and vary in size, speed, hull strength, and firepower; smaller ships are generally faster and capable of disabling their targets, but lack the damage output necessary to destroy larger ships, while capital ships do very high amounts of damage but have difficulty striking smaller, mobile targets. Each of the four races has its own unique ship design preferences and strengths and weaknesses, although all races have ships that are meant for the same basic roles and are balanced for play against each other. This means that there is no "best ship" in ''Eve Online''. According to the player's preferred style of play, the player might want their characters to fly a ship with a huge cargo hold, one that is suited for mining, one that has a powerful array of weapons, or a ship that moves quickly through space; but the fluid, ever-changing nature of ''Eve Online'' means that no ship will be perfect at all of these tasks, nor is there any guarantee that the "best ship for the job" today will continue to be the best ship tomorrow.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

Furthermore, unlike many online games, ''Eve Online'' does not feature racial bonuses; that is, characters of different races do not gain intrinsic advantages for flying ships designed by their own races. While a character will begin with more advanced skills in their own race's ships, a character of another race can reach the same proficiency through training. Thus, players are encouraged to use starships that meet their preferred style of play, and the game does not provide incentives for playing as one race rather than another. However, the ships of different races receive unique bonuses to certain things.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

===Classes===
Ships in ''Eve Online'' come in four size classes: 
* Small starships include: 
** Frigates – small, mobile ships good for disruption and harassment 
** Destroyers – slightly larger and more offense-oriented than frigates 
* Medium starships include: 
** Cruisers – multipurpose ships with many possible roles 
** Battlecruisers – heavier, more combat-oriented cruisers 
* The large class is made up of 
** Battleships – heavily armed and armored dedicated combat ships 
* Extra-large, or capital class, starships include: 
** Carriers – offense-oriented ships that can launch wings of fighters to attack targets at extreme range 
** Dreadnoughts – dedicated siege ships for attacking structures and other capitals 
** Force auxiliary ships – dedicated support ships exceptional at repairing other ships 
** Supercarriers – larger versions of carriers, focused more on damage to capital class ships and powerful fleet disruption capabilities 
** Titans – supermassive mobile battle stations, capable of equipping doomsday devices which do massive amounts of damage to other capital ships, or have other powerful battle-affecting capabilities{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

[[File:EVE Online - Gallente Frigate.jpg|300px|thumb|right|A Catalyst-class destroyer leaving a station]]

===Characteristics===
Each spaceship within the ''Eve Online'' universe has a different set of characteristics, and can be fitted with different combinations of modules, subject to their fitting requirements. Ships have a wide variety of characteristics, including power grid, CPU, capacitor size and recharge rate, energy shields, armor, maximum velocity, agility, locking range, and maximum number of lockable targets. A ship's systems also receive bonuses depending on the ship's pilot's levels of various skills. These bonuses usually correspond to the role the ship has been designed for, and thus vary widely. For instance, the Caldari "Caracal" cruiser has a bonus to the rate of fire of certain missile launcher types, while the Gallente "Vexor" cruiser has a bonus to the damage and hitpoints of certain types of combat drones.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

One important characteristic of a ship is the slots it has available for modules. Slots and modules come in three variants—high-, mid-, and low-power. 
* High-power slot modules include weapons such as [[Gun turret|turrets]] and [[missile launchers]], [[cloaking devices]], and [[tractor beam]]s and other tools for mining and salvaging. 
* Mid-power slot items include modules to improve shields or propulsion, repair [[hull (watercraft)|hull]] damage, engage in [[electronic warfare]], and "tackle" other ships to slow or stop movement and prevent escape. 
* Low-power slot items include armor enhancements and repair, increased cargo space, and improved speed, agility, computers, or power supply.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

Ships of different sizes have different numbers and ratios of module slots.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

A ship may also have two to three slots for rigs, which are modules that require no power grid or CPU, but instead require a ship resource called ''calibration''. Installing a rig is a semi-permanent action, as a rig cannot be removed from the ship without being destroyed. Rigs come in four sizes, small, medium, large, and capital, which roughly correspond to the size of the ship, and are used to affect other aspects of the ship such as maximum speed or cargo capacity, or to augment the capabilities of other modules installed in the ship. Most rigs also incur a penalty to a certain aspect of the ship; for example, armor rigs reduce the maximum velocity of the ship.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

===Tech level===
All ships in the game are also classed according to ''Tech level'', from Tech I to Tech III. 
* Tech I (or T1) ships are general purpose, easily manufactured models that perform simple, straightforward functions in an obvious way; faction ships, which are usually very expensive and very proficient at their intended tasks, are also T1. 
* Tech II (T2) ships are based on T1 designs, but have been modified to perform specific roles using specialized technology. T2 ships are harder to manufacture and are only produced by certain corporations, and are priced well above the T1 variants. They also require significantly greater skills to fly than their T1 variants.
* Tech III (T3) strategic cruisers were introduced into ''Eve Online'' in the Apocrypha patch. These highly advanced starships are manufactured from material recovered from beyond [[wormhole]]s, another new feature introduced by Apocrypha; this gives them unique qualities. Strategic cruisers are rare and expensive, and require manufacturers to have unique skillsets that allow the reverse engineering and integration of highly advanced technologies recovered from dead or dormant ancient civilizations. The T3 ships introduced by Apocrypha differ from other ships in that they are modular. Players start with a hull and then add four subsystems to it, the choice of which can dramatically change the ship's character, giving it a different layout of module slots, different preferred weapon systems, and abilities such as being able to fit covert cloaks or ignore some warp disruption effects.<ref>{{cite web |author=CCP |url=https://community.eveonline.com/news/patch-notes/patch-notes-for-apocrypha-1 |title=Patch Notes for Apocrypha |publisher=EVE Community |date=October 3, 2009 |access-date=October 30, 2016 |archive-date=October 31, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161031024922/https://community.eveonline.com/news/patch-notes/patch-notes-for-apocrypha-1 |url-status=live }}</ref>  The Rhea, Aegis, Tiamat, and Carnyx patches introduced four new T3 tactical destroyers. While these lack the modular nature of their strategic cruiser big brothers, they can dynamically swap between three "modes", augmenting their offensive, defensive, or propulsion capabilities, respectively, as needed by the pilot, even in the midst of combat. This gives these tactical destroyers substantially superior offensive, defensive, or evasive capabilities than other lower-tech destroyers, though they can only utilize one of the three capabilities at a time.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

==Players and communities==
Players have several interaction options when playing ''Eve Online''. Every activity is possible for solo players but larger and more complicated tasks become more feasible for groups, such as pirate clans or corporations.

===Corporations and alliances===
Players can organize themselves into corporations (similar to [[clan (video games)|guilds or clans]] in other MMOs). Corporations are run by one chief executive officer (CEO) who controls the corporation's assets. The CEO assigns roles to corporation members such as director, accountant and personnel manager. Corporations may also band together to form alliances. Corporations and alliances come in different shapes and sizes. Some player groups write press releases about new business openings and send out [[Initial public offering|IPO]] information to potential in-game venture capital investors. Alliances can control enough star systems that their territory can be plotted on the ''Eve Online'' game map.<ref name="eve_map_territorial_control">{{cite web |url=http://dl.eve-files.com/media/corp/Verite/influence.png |title=Eve Online territorial control map (regularly updated) |access-date=October 15, 2008 |author=Verite Rendition |archive-date=February 6, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090206235707/http://dl.eve-files.com/media/corp/Verite/influence.png |url-status=live }}</ref> Alliances based in lawless space often form unofficial political power blocs with other alliances. These power blocs are typically referred to as "coalitions". Unlike formally established alliances, coalitions are similar in nature to Japanese ''[[keiretsu]]''{{snd}} an informal 'business arrangement' in which several corporations band together to provide mutual financial, military and/or industrial support.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

Corporations take up numerous business models such as mining, manufacturing or "ratting" (hunting NPC pirates for their bounties and loot). Corporations can levy income taxes on their members, which skim off a percentage of every member's earnings. Many corporations offer a variety of benefits to their members, such as free or discounted ships, equipment, formal training, and organized corporate group operations.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

Among the many activities that corporations can organize is piracy. Actions considered piracy generally involve breaking the in-game law, and can come in a variety of forms. Pirates may [[camping (video games)|camp]] stargates waiting for other players to arrive, attack players operating in asteroid belts or hunt for players carrying out an NPC agent-assigned mission. Because these activities are considered to be "illegal" within the game mechanics, pirate characters often will have [[Gameplay of Eve Online#Security status system|low security status]] and may even be branded as outlaws by CONCORD. Likewise, victims of overt piracy may retaliate without intervention from CONCORD, often via an expressed right to destroy the pirate ship (i.e., "kill right"). Although piracy activities are "illegal" within the game universe, they are not against the rules of the game, i.e., there will only be in-game retaliation and punishment for them.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

Illegally attacking another player in secure space will result in a loss of security standing; CONCORD, the interstellar NPC police, will arrive shortly to destroy the aggressor's ship. There are, however, legal ways to attack other players in high-security space.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

Whole corporations and whole alliances can officially declare war on (or "war-dec") other corporations or alliances for a weekly fee, permitting all members of the involved corporations or alliances to attack each other without loss of security status or the intervention of CONCORD.<ref name="EveKBCorporationWars">{{cite web|url=https://support.eveonline.com/Pages/KB/Article.aspx?id=163 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110810035650/https://support.eveonline.com/Pages/KB/Article.aspx?id=163 |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 10, 2011 |title=Eve Online Support: Corporation Wars |access-date=January 15, 2008 |author=CCP Games |publisher=eveonline.com }}</ref> The weekly fee can be eliminated if the war declaration is reciprocated. War declarations will clearly flag a player's enemies, so that players can determine who can legally attack and be attacked.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

===Demographics===
: N.B.: Demographic data for this game has ''not'' been collected uniformly or regularly.
In March 2006, CCP made a deal with [[Optic Communications]] to start working on bringing ''Eve Online'' to the Chinese gaming audience. Closed [[alpha testing]] was held on a small cluster for some time, with about 3,000 players chosen from an initial pool of 50,000.<ref name="devblog_biginchina">{{cite web|url=http://community.eveonline.com/news/dev-blogs/big-in-china/|title=Big in China|access-date=December 15, 2014|date=April 11, 2006|author=LeKjart|publisher=eveonline.com|archive-date=December 16, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216053039/http://community.eveonline.com/news/dev-blogs/big-in-china/|url-status=live}}</ref> The Chinese open beta test began on June 13, 2006, and proved to be very popular, gaining numbers comparable to ''Eve Online'''s main server cluster.<ref name="GamingHorizonBetaLaunch">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamebump.com/go/eve_online_chinese_beta_launches |title=Article "Eve Online Chinese Beta Launches" |access-date=January 15, 2008 |date=June 15, 2006 |author=The Gaming Horizon Archive |work=gamebump.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081221011135/http://www.gamebump.com/go/eve_online_chinese_beta_launches |archive-date=December 21, 2008 }}</ref> In order to avoid the shock of quickly adding thousands of new players to the current server (Tranquility), CCP Games decided to launch ''Eve'' in China on its own server (Serenity).<ref name="devblog_biginchina"/> In 2011, CCP allowed its licensing agreement with [[CDC Games]], which had acquired Optic in July 2007,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20080124005466/en/CDC-Games-Announces-Promotion-John-Huen-Chief |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=CDC Games Announces Promotion of John Huen to Chief Operating Officer |newspaper=[[Business Wire]] |location=Beijing |date=January 24, 2008 |access-date=December 15, 2014 |archive-date=June 3, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150603152407/http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20080124005466/en/CDC-Games-Announces-Promotion-John-Huen-Chief |url-status=live }}</ref> to expire. CCP created a new partnership with [[TianCity]] to relaunch Serenity on December 11, 2012.<ref>{{cite news |last=CCP Loktofeit |date=December 11, 2012 |title=CCP Games and TianCity Relaunch EVE Online in China |url=http://community.eveonline.com/news/news-channels/press-releases/ccp-games-and-tiancity-relaunch-eve-online-in-china/ |publisher=eveonline.com |location=Reykjavik, Iceland |access-date=December 15, 2014 |archive-date=December 16, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216053647/http://community.eveonline.com/news/news-channels/press-releases/ccp-games-and-tiancity-relaunch-eve-online-in-china/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The code base between Serenity (serving China) and Tranquility (serving the rest of the world) is synchronised, so that feature development is distributed to both server clusters, although the game worlds are not connected. ''Eve Online'' fully supports [[Unicode]] and has a back-end system to enable localization of each and every aspect of the game's content and UI.<ref name="TenTonHammerFanFestCoverage">{{cite web|url=http://eve.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=21&meid=39 |title=TenTonHammer: Day Three – 'The 5th Horseman' with Oveur, Hellmar's Keynote |access-date=January 15, 2008 |date=November 20, 2006 |work=eve.tentonhammer.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070821063308/http://eve.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=21&meid=39 |archive-date=August 21, 2007 }}</ref>

In October 2006, the average age of an ''Eve Online'' player was 27, and 95% of players were male. The average weekly playtime was 17 hours, or just under 2.5 hours per day.<ref name="vern_hilmarpeturson_evecurrency" /> By May 6, 2009, ''Eve Online'' claimed to have more than 300,000 active subscriptions and 45,000 active trial accounts.<ref name="qen_q4_2007">{{cite web|url=http://ccp.vo.llnwd.net/o2/pdf/QEN_Q4-2007.pdf |title=Quarterly Economic Newsletter 4th quarter 2007 |access-date=February 23, 2008 |last=Guðmundsson |first=Eyjólfur |author2=Kjartan Þ. Halldórsson |author3=Tuukka Lehtiniemi |date=February 23, 2008 |publisher=eveonline.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512001531/http://ccp.vo.llnwd.net/o2/pdf/QEN_Q4-2007.pdf |archive-date=May 12, 2008 }}</ref><ref name="devblog_qen_q4_2007">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=542|title=Dev blog "Quarterly Economic Newsletter 4th quarter 2007"|access-date=February 23, 2008|last=Guðmundsson|first=Eyjólfur|date=February 23, 2008|publisher=eveonline.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090418013229/http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=542|archive-date=April 18, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="KieronNewsPost16Nov">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/mb/news.asp?nid=1649|title=200000|access-date=November 17, 2007|last=Dane|first=Charles|date=November 17, 2007|publisher=eveonline.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807133856/http://www.eveonline.com/mb/news.asp?nid=1649|archive-date=August 7, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="qen_q1_2008">{{cite web|url=http://ccp.vo.llnwd.net/o2/pdf/QEN_Q1-2008.pdf |title=Quarterly Economic Newsletter 1st quarter 2008 |access-date=October 18, 2008 |last=Guðmundsson |first=Eyjólfur |author2=Freyr Tómasson |author3=Kjartan Þ. Halldórsson |date=October 16, 2008 |publisher=eveonline.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081031013442/http://ccp.vo.llnwd.net/o2/pdf/QEN_Q1-2008.pdf |archive-date=October 31, 2008 }}</ref><ref name="eveonline_news_20090506">{{cite web|title=News "EVE's 6th birthday with 300,000 of your closest friends (and enemies)" |url=http://www.eveonline.com/news.asp?a=single&nid=3044&tid=1 |access-date=May 9, 2009 |author=CCP Manifest |date=May 6, 2009 |publisher=eveonline.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090509080352/http://www.eveonline.com/news.asp?a=single&nid=3044&tid=1 |archive-date=May 9, 2009 }}</ref>  The total active subscription count at end of 2010 was 357,000 accounts.<ref name="Eve Online 2010Q4 QEN">{{cite web|title=Quarterly Economic Report|url=http://cdn1.eveonline.com/community/QEN/QEN_Q4-2010.pdf|author=Dr. Eyjólfur Guðmundsson, CCP|year=2010|publisher=eveonline.com|access-date=April 28, 2011|archive-date=April 8, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110408190526/http://cdn1.eveonline.com/community/QEN/QEN_Q4-2010.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

On July 7, 2011, CCP announced that it planned to partner with [[Nexon Co. Ltd.]] to bring a "fully localized game client and product services for CCP's award winning... EVE Online" to Japan in the fall. Localized services for Japanese players would enable them to access the game in their native language through the Tranquility server, which currently hosts over 350,000 subscribers from around the world in three languages: English, German and Russian.<ref name="CCP Press Release">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/pressreleases/default.asp?pressReleaseID=72 |title=CCP and Nexon Announce Strategic Partnership for EVE Online in Japan |access-date=August 22, 2011 |date=July 7, 2011 |work=eveonline.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810190256/http://www.eveonline.com/pressreleases/default.asp?pressReleaseID=72 |archive-date=August 10, 2011 }}</ref>

On May 5, 2013, ''Eve Online'' claimed a new record for the maximum number of simultaneous pilots online with 65,303 concurrent accounts logged on to the same server at the same time. This record was set on the eve of ''Eve Online''{{'}}s 10 year anniversary, and topped the previous record of 63,170 set January 23, 2011. ''Eve Online'' typically experiences the highest number of users on Sundays and the peak player records have almost exclusively been broken on Sundays.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&m=2979625#post2979625|title=[UPDATE - SUCCESS NEW PCU RECORD (65,303)] - PCU Record Attempt and EVE Birthday Celebration|access-date=May 5, 2013|work=eveonline.com|publisher=[[CCP Games|CCP]]|archive-date=May 10, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510025624/https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&m=2979625#post2979625|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Player tournaments===
During two weekends in July 2006, a live streaming video production called Eve TV<ref name="devblog_evetv_gonnahappen">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=348|title=Dev blog "EveTV – Gonna Happen!"|access-date=January 15, 2008|date=June 27, 2007|author=LeMonde|publisher=eveonline.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710210318/http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=348|archive-date=July 10, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="evetv">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/evetv/ |title=Eve TV |access-date=January 15, 2008 |work=eveonline.tv |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091017094648/http://www.eveonline.com/evetv/ |archive-date=October 17, 2009 }}</ref> covered the events of the 2nd Caldari Alliance Tournament. The tournament pitted three-man teams from the top alliances against each other. Eve TV provided live in-game footage of the battles along with expert commentary. Analysis of the teams and strategies, interviews with CCP staff and behind-the-scenes specials were also aired between battles. Eve TV was produced and hosted primarily by DJs<ref name="devblog_evetv_gonnahappen" /> from Eve-Radio (a player-run streaming radio station) with resources provided by CCP. A total of 95 matches were scheduled, with the Band of Brothers<ref name="band_of_brothers">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/alliances/a_632866070.asp |title=Band of Brothers alliance info page |access-date=January 15, 2008 |author=CCP Games |publisher=eveonline.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218121653/http://www.eveonline.com/alliances/a_632866070.asp |archive-date=February 18, 2015 }}</ref> alliance emerging the winner.<ref name="bob_winner_2nd_tournament">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/events/alliances/tournament/matches.asp?t=2&matches=final16 |title=2nd Alliance Tournament – Overview of the final 16 teams |access-date=January 21, 2008 |author=CCP Games |publisher=eveonline.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090224160142/http://www.eveonline.com/events/alliances/tournament/matches.asp?t=2&matches=final16 |archive-date=February 24, 2009 }}</ref>

The first two weekends in December 2006 saw the 3rd Alliance tournament. This was once again broadcast via live streaming video by Eve TV<ref name="evetv" /> The tournament saw 40 Alliances<ref name="AllianceContestants">{{cite web|url=http://dl.eve-files.com/media/corp/lemonde/contestants.JPG|title=3rd alliance tournament contestant list|access-date=January 15, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080216100930/http://dl.eve-files.com/media/corp/lemonde/contestants.JPG|archive-date=February 16, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> pitting five-man teams against each other. Once again, the Band of Brothers<ref name="band_of_brothers" /> alliance emerged as the winner. Of particular note in this tournament was the fielding of an Imperial Apocalypse by the Interstellar Alcohol Conglomerate. The ship was destroyed in the semi-finals of the tournament by the COW (Cult of War) team. A last-minute attempt to arrange an 8&nbsp;billion ISK ransom for the ship fell through.{{Citation needed|date=October 2011}}

[[File:EVE Combat.png|300px|thumb|left|A battle in ''Eve Online'' between a number of players and a station]]

The fourth Alliance tournament in September 2007 brought several upsets, with Star Fraction defeating Band of Brothers in the second round, using only tech 1 cruisers, and Hun Reloaded sweeping both the semifinals and finals to win.<ref name="tournament_4_final16">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/events/alliances/tournament/matches.asp?t=4&matches=final16 |title=4th Alliance Tournament, list of the final 16 teams and their match results |publisher=CCP Games |access-date=March 10, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090224160152/http://www.eveonline.com/events/alliances/tournament/matches.asp?t=4&matches=final16 |archive-date=February 24, 2009 }}</ref>

The two weekends starting February 29, 2008, and March 7, 2008, saw the fifth Alliance Tournament.<ref name="tournament_5_schedule">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/events/alliances/tournament/matches.asp?t=5&matches=bydate |title=5th Alliance Tournament schedule |publisher=CCP Games |access-date=March 10, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101226145411/http://www.eveonline.com/events/alliances/tournament/matches.asp?t=5&matches=bydate |archive-date=December 26, 2010 }}</ref> Eve TV provided coverage via live streaming video.<ref name="tournament_5_evetvpage">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/evetv/tunein.asp |title=5th Alliance Tournament EveTV video stream and archive |publisher=CCP Games |access-date=March 10, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227120705/http://www.eveonline.com/evetv/tunein.asp |archive-date=February 27, 2009 }}</ref> During the six days a total of 40 teams competed in 95 matches. The last tournament's winner, HUN Reloaded, made its way into the quarter-finals where it lost to Ev0ke alliance, who later became tournament champion after having won all eight of its matches.<ref name="tournament_5_schedule"/>

The sixth Alliance Tournament was held during three consecutive weekends starting January 24, 2009, and ending on February 8, 2009. A total of 64 teams took part in the qualifying rounds on opening weekend. While the final weekend was broadcast live via Eve TV, the qualifying rounds were broadcast through various ''Eve Online'' radio channels. A number of changes were made to the tournament rules.<ref name="tournament_6_rules">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/ingameboard.asp?a=topic&threadID=934209|title=Alliance Tournament VI: Official Rules Thread|publisher=CCP Games|access-date=February 18, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100110022128/http://www.eveonline.com/ingameboard.asp?a=topic&threadID=934209|archive-date=January 10, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> This was also the first tournament Factional Militias were able to take part alongside traditional alliance teams.<ref name="tournament_6_page">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/events/alliances/tournament/?t=6 |title=Sixth Alliance Tournament |publisher=CCP Games |access-date=January 31, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090609103202/http://www.eveonline.com/events/alliances/tournament/?t=6 |archive-date=June 9, 2009 }}</ref> In the final match, R.U.R. went up against Pandemic Legion with Pandemic Legion emerging as the tournament winner.<ref name="tournament_6_matchreports_day6">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/ingameboard.asp?a=topic&threadID=993508&page=1#16|title=Match Reports – Day 6|publisher=CCP Games|access-date=February 18, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110208102210/http://www.eveonline.com/ingameboard.asp?a=topic&threadID=993508&page=1#16|archive-date=February 8, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Alliance Tournament 7 took place in September 2009, with Pandemic Legion winning a second successive tournament, beating Circle of Two in the final.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Games |first1=CCP |title=Alliance Tournament VII Results - EVE Community |url=https://community.testeveonline.com/community/alliance-tournament/past-tournaments/seventh/ |website=EVE Community |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221126125928/https://community.testeveonline.com/community/alliance-tournament/past-tournaments/seventh/ |archive-date=November 26, 2022 |language=en}}</ref> Alliance Tournament 8 took place in June 2010, with Pandemic Legion winning for the third time, beating Hydra Reloaded,<ref>{{cite web|author=CCP |url=http://www.eveonline.com/events/alliances/tournament/t8/schedule3.asp |title=EVE Insider &#124; Events &#124; Alliances |publisher=EVE Online |date=July 20, 2010 |access-date=April 21, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110411082807/http://www.eveonline.com/events/alliances/tournament/t8/schedule3.asp |archive-date=April 11, 2011 }}</ref> while Alliance Tournament 9 took place in June 2011, with Hydra Reloaded as the winner in the uncontested final match against Outbreak.<ref>{{cite web|author=CCP |url=http://www.eveonline.com/news.asp?a=single&nid=4628&tid=7 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120730043339/http://www.eveonline.com/news.asp?a=single&nid=4628&tid=7 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 30, 2012 |title=EVE Insider |publisher=EVE Online |date=June 20, 2011 |access-date=December 7, 2011 }}</ref>

Alliance Tournament 10 took place over four consecutive weekends in July 2012. 64 Teams took part in the Tournament, with all matches being broadcast live on EVE TV. A number of changes were made to the format of matches, which included increasing the maximum number of pilots from 10 to 12.<ref>{{cite web |author=CCP |url=http://community.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&nbid=28644 |title=EVE Insider |publisher=EVE Online |date=May 2, 2012 |access-date=September 9, 2012 |archive-date=June 10, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120610093448/http://community.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&nbid=28644 |url-status=live }}</ref> Verge of Collapse were eventually crowned Champions, defeating Alliance Tournament 4 winners HUN Reloaded in the final. The Alliance stunned everyone beating top teams to claim the title of Champions.<ref>{{cite web|author=CCP |url=http://community.eveonline.com/en/tournament/ |title=EVE Alliance Tournament X |publisher=EVE Online |date=May 2, 2012 |access-date=September 9, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120909151519/http://community.eveonline.com/en/tournament |archive-date=September 9, 2012 }}</ref>

Alliance Tournament 11 took place over the course of three weekends in July and August 2013, with Pandemic Legion beating Exodus. in the loser's bracket, then coming back from a 2–0 score in a best of five match against Hydra Reloaded to win 3 matches in a row and win their fourth Alliance Tournament, and their first victory since Alliance Tournament 8.<ref>{{cite web |author=CCP |url=http://community.eveonline.com/community/alliance-tournament/schedule/#sunday-august-4th |title=Schedule - EVE Community |publisher=EVE Online |date=August 4, 2012 |access-date=August 7, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130624032819/http://community.eveonline.com/community/alliance-tournament/schedule/#sunday-august-4th |archive-date=June 24, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Volunteer program===
The Interstellar Services Department (ISD) is a group of volunteers, made up of subscribed players, who assist in a variety of tasks like answering questions from players, bug hunting and QA testing, covering player-driven news,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.engadget.com/2008/05/20/new-edens-virtual-reporters/ |author=James Egan |title=New Eden's virtual reporters |newspaper=Joystiq |publisher=Massively |date=May 20, 2008 |access-date=September 8, 2015 |archive-date=September 30, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930050904/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/20/new-edens-virtual-reporters/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and writing game fiction. It includes ECAID (Equipment Certification and Anomaly Investigations Division), STAR (Support, Training and Resources), IC (Interstellar Correspondents), M (Mercury), CCL (Community Communication Liaisons), and YARR (Yulai Archives & Records Repository Team).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://community.eveonline.com/community/volunteer-program/ |title=Volunteer Program - EVE Community |access-date=September 8, 2015 |author=CCP Games |publisher=eveonline.com |archive-date=September 5, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905093143/https://community.eveonline.com/community/volunteer-program/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Development==
According to the developers, ''Eve Online'' evolved from the classic computer game ''[[Elite (video game)|Elite]]'', which itself was based on concepts from the science-fiction role-playing game ''[[Traveller (role-playing game)|Traveller]]''. ''Eve'' combined concepts from ''Elite'' with the multi player chat and player-versus-player aspects of ''[[Ultima Online]]''.<ref name="Evolution and Risk">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20050923/rossignol_01.shtml|title=Evolution and Risk: CCP on the Freedoms of Eve Online|access-date=September 13, 2007|last=Rosignol|first=Jim|date=September 23, 2005|website=Gamasutra|archive-date=September 14, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070914024432/http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20050923/rossignol_01.shtml|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''Elite'' had four single-player aspects: missions,<ref name="Ian's FAQ">{{cite web|url=http://www.iancgbell.clara.net/elite/faq.htm#A5|title=Elite FAQ|access-date=September 13, 2007|last=Bell|first=Ian|date=Autumn 1999|publisher=Ian Bell|archive-date=February 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225073252/http://www.iancgbell.clara.net/elite/faq.htm#A5|url-status=live}}</ref> mining, trade routes and combat with random hostile NPCs,<ref name="Elite Manual">{{cite web|url=http://www.iancgbell.clara.net/elite/manual.htm|title=Space Traders Flight Training Manual|access-date=September 13, 2007|last=Holdstock|first=Rob|year=1984|publisher=Acorn|archive-date=February 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225055338/http://www.iancgbell.clara.net/elite/manual.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> all of which are aspects of the first incarnations of ''Eve Online''.<ref name="eaves outs">{{cite web|url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=89181|title=Eve Online 'eaves out some shots|access-date=September 13, 2007|last=Bishop|first=Stuart|date=March 27, 2003|publisher=CVG|archive-date=August 22, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100822160457/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=89181|url-status=live}}</ref>

One of the original developers of ''Elite'', [[David Braben]], believes ''Eve Online'' is a reimplementation of the 1980s game, not its true successor.<ref name="Q&A: David Braben">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6162140.html?part=rss&tag=gs_news&subj=6162140|title=Q&A: David Braben—from Elite to today|access-date=September 13, 2007|last=Boyes|first=Emma|date=November 27, 2006|publisher=GameSpot News(CNET)|archive-date=January 24, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120124082021/http://www.gamespot.com/news/6162140.html?part=rss&tag=gs_news&subj=6162140|url-status=live}}</ref> Some of the developers (John Cameron, James Cassidy, Joe Chaney) also believe that this game creates a world where players can become someone else only possible in their imaginations.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

Both the server and the client software for ''Eve Online'' are developed in [[Stackless Python]], a variant of the [[Python (programming language)|Python]] programming language. Stackless Python allows a relatively large number of players to perform tasks without the overhead of using the [[call stack]] used in the standard Python distribution. This frees the game developers from performing some routine work and allows them to apply changes to the game universe without resetting the server.<ref name="eve_online_faq">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/faq/faq_07.asp |title=EVE ONLINE F.A.Q. |access-date=August 5, 2008 |publisher=[[CCP Games|CCP ehf.]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090222195343/http://www.eveonline.com/faq/faq_07.asp |archive-date=February 22, 2009 }}</ref>  However, the Eve cluster is taken offline daily for database and server maintenance.<ref name="daily_downtime">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=817|title=Death to Downtimes!|access-date=August 24, 2011|date=October 29, 2010|publisher=[[CCP Hunter]]|archive-date=August 9, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809012613/http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=817|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Compatibility===
On March 14, 2006, the ''Eve Online'' development team announced that they would be upgrading the graphics engine of ''Eve Online'' to a [[DirectX]] 10 / [[Windows Vista]] graphics platform.<ref name="devblog_graphics_vista">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=323|title=Dev blog "A Little Thing Called Vista ..."|access-date=January 15, 2008|date=April 14, 2006|author=Redundancy|publisher=eveonline.com|archive-date=July 10, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710210225/http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=323|url-status=live}}</ref> Revelations patch 1.4 had patch notes quoted as saying that the current ''Eve Online'' client should work in Vista "as well as it does in XP".<ref name="patchnotes_xp_vista">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/updates/patchnotes.asp?patchlogID=127|title=Patch notes for Revelations patch 1.4|access-date=January 15, 2008|author=CCP Games|publisher=eveonline.com|archive-date=July 1, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100701043232/http://www.eveonline.com/updates/patchnotes.asp?patchlogID=127|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On September 10, 2007, [[CCP Games]] announced that the new ''Trinity 2'' graphics engine will be using DirectX 9.0.<ref name="devblog501">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=501|title=Dev blog "That November Expansion Of Ours"|access-date=January 15, 2008|date=September 10, 2007|author=CCP Oveur|publisher=eveonline.com|archive-date=August 7, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807133242/http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=501|url-status=live}}</ref> This was released on December 5, 2007.<ref name="EvePressRelease38">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/pressreleases/default.asp?pressReleaseID=38 |title=Eve Online Press Release – 11/28/07 |access-date=November 29, 2007 |author=CCP Games |date=December 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150417011608/http://www.eveonline.com/pressreleases/default.asp?pressReleaseID=38 |archive-date=April 17, 2015 }}</ref>

Official support for [[Linux]] and [[Mac (computer)|Mac]] platforms, using [[Transgaming Technologies]] [[Cedega (software)|Cedega]] and [[TransGaming Technologies|Cider]] ([[Fork (software)|forks]] of [[Wine (software)|Wine]]) for Linux and Mac compatibility, was introduced with the Revelations 2.3 patch released on November 6, 2007.<ref name="Revelations23MacLinuxSupport">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/news.asp?a=single&nid=1629&tid=1&sid=539642555 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625075136/https://www.eveonline.com/news.asp?a=single&nid=1629&tid=1&sid=539642555 |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 25, 2018 |title=revelations 2.3 with mac and linux support now in public testing on multiplicity |access-date=November 3, 2007 |author=CCP kieron |date=November 3, 2007 |work=eveonline.com |publisher=[[CCP Games]] }}</ref><ref name="EscapistLinuxAndMacCompatability">{{cite web|url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/78605-New-EVE-Online-Client-Offers-Official-Linux-and-OS-X-Support|title=New Eve Online Client Offers Official Linux and OS X Support|access-date=November 5, 2007|author=Andy Chalk|date=November 5, 2007|work=The Escapist News|publisher=[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]]|archive-date=October 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191003062445/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/78605-New-EVE-Online-Client-Offers-Official-Linux-and-OS-X-Support|url-status=dead}}</ref> At Fanfest 2008 Transgaming announced and demonstrated that the Premium graphics client is now running on Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. In February 2009 CCP announced that they planned to discontinue the official Linux client with the next major patch,<ref name="devblog_625">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=625|title=an update on linux support|access-date=February 11, 2009|author=CCP Games|publisher=eveonline.com|archive-date=February 28, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228162853/http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=625|url-status=live}}</ref> and advised on using third-party programs to run the Windows version of the client under Linux (namely [[Wine (software)|Wine]]).<ref name="eve_kb_499">{{cite web|url=http://support.eveonline.com/Pages/KB/Article.aspx?id=499 |title=How to run EVE Online under Linux |access-date=February 11, 2009 |author=CCP Games |publisher=eveonline.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101009014838/http://support.eveonline.com/Pages/KB/Article.aspx?id=499 |archive-date=October 9, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://wiki.winehq.org/AppsThatSupportWine |title=AppsThatSupportWine – The Official Wine Wiki |publisher=Wiki.winehq.org |date=August 8, 2010 |access-date=April 21, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110603231747/http://wiki.winehq.org/AppsThatSupportWine |archive-date=June 3, 2011 }}</ref> The discontinuation of the official Linux client was primarily because the game ran better using the Windows client via Wine than it did with the official one, as a result many Linux users were already using Wine instead.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

On December 4, 2020, CCP Games announced the development of a native Mac client, running on [[macOS Big Sur]] and using the [[Metal (API)|Metal]] graphics framework; the initial release supporting [[Intel]]-based Macs was targeted for the first half of 2021, with a subsequent release to support [[Apple M1|M1]]-based Macs.<ref>{{cite news |last1=CCP Games |title=CCP Games developing a native macOS client for EVE Online |url=https://www.ccpgames.com/news/2020/ccp-games-developing-a-native-macos-client-for-eve-online |access-date=5 January 2021 |work=eveonline.com |date=4 December 2020 |archive-date=January 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107153314/https://www.ccpgames.com/news/2020/ccp-games-developing-a-native-macos-client-for-eve-online |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Third-party applications and the Eve API Project===
Third-party applications supplement players' ''Eve Online'' experience. Some of these, such as automated applications designed to claim publicly available contracts accidentally put up without an associated cost, can result in a ban if discovered,{{Citation needed|date=October 2011}} while others are endorsed, tacitly or explicitly, by CCP. EVEMon, a [[.NET Framework|.NET]] application that monitors and forecasts skill training times, is one example of an explicitly authorized external application.<ref name="EveMonBattleClinic">{{cite web|url=http://evemon.battleclinic.com/|title=EveMon – Main Page|access-date=January 15, 2008|first=Timothy|last=Fries|archive-date=February 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210221061732/http://www.evemon.battleclinic.com/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="DevUsingEVEMon">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/ingameboard.asp?a=topic&threadID=513772&page=1#9|title=Eve Online Forums: CCP Employee Using EveMon|access-date=January 15, 2008|date=April 30, 2007|author=CCP kieron|publisher=eveonline.com|archive-date=August 7, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807132832/http://www.eveonline.com/ingameboard.asp?a=topic&threadID=513772&page=1#9|url-status=dead}}</ref> Another such application, Eve Fitting Tool or EFT, allows players to try different ship setups and see how certain skills and modules will affect that ship.<ref name="eft_announcement_topic">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/ingameboard.asp?a=topic&threadID=548883&page=1|title=Eve Fitting Tool v2.9.1 – Quantum Rise|access-date=February 23, 2009|author=Gripen|archive-date=March 25, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325064454/http://www.eveonline.com/ingameboard.asp?a=topic&threadID=548883&page=1|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Third-party applications to monitor character information and skill training exist for both the [[Android (operating system)|Android]] and [[iPhone]] mobile platforms.<ref name="CapsuleerForIphone">{{cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/app/capsuleer-for-eve-online/id291118202?mt=8|title=Capsuleer (For EVE Online) for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad|website=[[iTunes]]|access-date=July 9, 2010|archive-date=June 2, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100602214033/http://itunes.apple.com/app/capsuleer-for-eve-online/id291118202?mt=8|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="AuraForAndroid">{{cite web|url=http://www.androlib.com/android.application.com-aideronrobotics-android-aura-AEz.aspx|title=Aura for EVE Online v0.7.2 Application for Android|access-date=July 9, 2010|archive-date=April 15, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100415084833/http://www.androlib.com/android.application.com-aideronrobotics-android-aura-AEz.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref>

In May 2005, CCP announced the Eve API Project; third-party utilities such as EVEMon now interface with character data, market, and other data through an [[Application programming interface|API]].<ref name="devblog467">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=467|title=Dev blog "The Eve API Project"|access-date=January 15, 2008|date=May 15, 2007|author=CCP Garthagk|publisher=eveonline.com|archive-date=September 29, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090929010630/http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=467|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Major content patches===
{{Main|Expansions of Eve Online}}
[[File:EVE Online - Caldari Freighters.jpg|265px|thumb|right|Two freight haulers called "Charons", a kind of ship introduced in the "Red Moon Rising" content patch]]
Since the initial release of ''Eve Online'', CCP has added twenty-one expansions to the game, free of additional charge to its subscribers.<ref name="evefeatures">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/features/ |title=Eve Online Features |access-date=January 14, 2008 |author=CCP Games |publisher=eveonline.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090224160208/http://www.eveonline.com/features/ |archive-date=February 24, 2009 }}</ref> The twentieth expansion "Rubicon", was released on November 19, 2013, and focused on new faction ships, introduction of mobile structures, and the first steps towards "The Future of EVE" outlined by CCP Seagull.<ref name="Rubicon Expansion">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/expansions/rubicon |title=Eve Online Rubicon |access-date=May 7, 2014 |author=CCP Games |publisher=eveonline.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508031210/http://www.eveonline.com/expansions/rubicon |archive-date=May 8, 2014 }}</ref> The nineteenth expansion, "Odyssey", was released on June 4, 2013, and focused on exploration and rebalancing battleships.<ref name="Odyssey Expansion">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/expansions/odyssey |title=Eve Online Odyssey |access-date=May 7, 2014 |author=CCP Games |publisher=eveonline.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508031116/http://www.eveonline.com/expansions/odyssey |archive-date=May 8, 2014 }}</ref> The eighteenth expansion, "Retribution", focused on a newly re-worked Crimewatch system. It also introduced the newly rebalanced frigates, destroyers, cruisers, and battlecruisers.<ref name="Retribution">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/expansions/retribution |title=Eve Online Retribution |access-date=May 7, 2014 |author=CCP Games |publisher=eveonline.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508031041/http://www.eveonline.com/expansions/retribution |archive-date=May 8, 2014 }}</ref> The seventeenth expansion, "Inferno", added enhanced graphics for missile systems, a host of new ship modules, and a controversial new "Unified Inventory" UI.<ref name="Inferno Expansion">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/expansions/inferno |title=Eve Online Inferno |access-date=May 7, 2014 |author=CCP Games |publisher=eveonline.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508031122/http://www.eveonline.com/expansions/inferno |archive-date=May 8, 2014 }}</ref> The sixteenth expansion, "Crucible", was released in November 2011 and shifted the focus from cosmetic changes to game mechanics.<ref name="Crucible Expansion">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/expansions/crucible |title=Eve Online Crucible |access-date=May 7, 2014 |author=CCP Games |publisher=eveonline.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508042816/http://www.eveonline.com/expansions/crucible |archive-date=May 8, 2014 }}</ref> The fifteenth expansion, "Incarna", was released in the first stage of CCP's controversial Ambulation project, also known as the "Walking in Stations" project. "Incarna" added "Captain's Quarters" to stations, the first phase of allowing players to explore stations as human avatars, as well as an update to ship turret models.<ref name="Incarna Expansion">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/expansions/incarna |title=Eve Online Incarna |access-date=May 7, 2014 |author=CCP Games |publisher=eveonline.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508030324/http://www.eveonline.com/expansions/incarna |archive-date=May 8, 2014 }}</ref> The fourteenth expansion, "Incursion", was released in stages, the second of which introduced the Sansha Incursions, in which Sansha's Nation invaded constellations, disrupting all forms of activity in the area, but provided large rewards for fighting back the incursions, and an overhaul of the character creation tool, paving the way for the ''Incarna'' expansion.<ref name="Incursion Expansion">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/expansions/incursion |title=Eve Online Incursion |access-date=May 7, 2014 |author=CCP Games |publisher=eveonline.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508031023/http://www.eveonline.com/expansions/incursion |archive-date=May 8, 2014 }}</ref>

The eleventh expansion of ''Eve Online'', "Apocrypha", was released on March 10, 2009, and introduced features such as further graphics updates as started in the [[Expansions of Eve Online#Trinity|Trinity]] expansion; the ability for players to group their vessels' weapons for easier interaction;<ref name="eve_quantum_rise_weapongrouping">{{cite web |url=http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=596 |title=Dev blog "Weapon Grouping" |access-date=November 1, 2008 |author=CCP Ytterbium |date=October 23, 2008 |publisher=[[CCP Games|CCP ehf.]] |archive-date=February 8, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110208161313/http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=596 |url-status=live }}</ref> changes to autopilot routes and avoidance of player-defined star systems.<ref name="eve_quantum_rise_features">{{cite web |url=http://community.eveonline.com/news/news-channels/press-releases/eve-online-quantum-rise-multiplies-mmo-power-1/ |title=Press release "EVE Online: Quantum Rise Multiplies MMO Power" |access-date=December 15, 2014 |date=October 15, 2008 |author=[[CCP Games|CCP ehf.]] |publisher=eveonline.com |archive-date=April 8, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408225607/http://community.eveonline.com/news/news-channels/press-releases/eve-online-quantum-rise-multiplies-mmo-power-1/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The twelfth expansion, "Dominion", was released on December 1, 2009, and overhauled the sovereignty system,<ref name="Dominion Expansion">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/expansions/dominion |title=Eve Online Dominion |access-date=May 7, 2014 |author=CCP Games |publisher=eveonline.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508031051/http://www.eveonline.com/expansions/dominion |archive-date=May 8, 2014 }}</ref> while the thirteenth expansion, "Tyrannis", released on May 26, 2010, added planetary interaction as well as the online platform "EVE Gate".<ref name="Tyrannis Expansion">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/expansions/tyrannis |title=Eve Online Tyrannis |access-date=May 7, 2014 |author=CCP Games |publisher=eveonline.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508042708/http://www.eveonline.com/expansions/tyrannis |archive-date=May 8, 2014 }}</ref>

Over time, expansions have added features such as conquerable and constructible space stations, massive capital ships, advanced versions of existing ships, or ''Epic Arcs'' for players to master. Apocrypha included an overhauled probing system, wormholes, a smarter and tougher AI and customizable Tech 3 ships as its major features.<ref name="eve_apocrypha_press_release">{{cite web |url=http://community.eveonline.com/news/news-channels/press-releases/eve-online-apocrypha-uncovers-a-new-version-of-the-universe-itself-1/ |title=Press release "EVE Online: Apocrypha Uncovers a New Version of the Universe Itself" |date=January 8, 2009 |access-date=December 15, 2014 |author=CCP Games |publisher=eveonline.com |archive-date=April 8, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408225540/http://community.eveonline.com/news/news-channels/press-releases/eve-online-apocrypha-uncovers-a-new-version-of-the-universe-itself-1/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Dominion, which became available for download on December 1, 2009, included an overhaul of the sovereignty system, more realistic astronomy, the Titan Doomsday weapon functionality being changed and the in-game web browser with Chromium's WebKit. It also included a redesign of the UI and in-game mailing system. Tyrannis added new features, such as the ability to exploit planetary resources, a social networking program called EVE Gate, new technology for ships, and graphical updates.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

====Rapid release cycle====
On May 6, 2014, at their yearly Fanfest convention, CCP announced the move from the current development cycle of two expansions per year, to ten feature-releases per year on a rapid release cycle. Senior Producer of EVE Online Andie Nordgren (CCP Seagull) stated that the move was necessary for future developments to have a more flexible release cycle, rather than the deadline imposed on the previous system, allowing smaller patches and changes to be deployed more rapidly and large projects not having to be rushed due to the expansion deadline.<ref name="2014 EVE Keynote">{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k07Uu7qUEa0 | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211113/k07Uu7qUEa0| archive-date=2021-11-13 | url-status=live|title=Fanfest 2014 - EVE Online Keynote |access-date=May 7, 2014 |date=May 6, 2014 |author=CCP Games |publisher=youtube.com  }}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="A New Frontier: EVE Online Doing Away With Expansions">{{cite journal |url=http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/05/05/eve-online-update-schedule/ |title=A New Frontier: EVE Online Doing Away With Expansions |access-date=May 7, 2014 |date=May 5, 2014 |author=Nathan Grayson |journal=Rock, Paper, Shotgun |publisher=rockpapershotgun.com |archive-date=May 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518093412/http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/05/05/eve-online-update-schedule/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

However, in September 2015, Nordgren announced that CCP, while continuing with a five-week release cycle, would return to intermittently releasing large scale expansions for ''EVE''.  She described the new release cycle as a "hybrid form", where expansions would be "a set of big, connected features" with no fixed number per year, while the feature-releases would continue to bring "quality of life changes, ship balance changes, visual upgrades" and other smaller additions.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://community.eveonline.com/news/dev-blogs/looking-behind-and-looking-ahead-an-update-from-executive-producer-ccp-seagull/ |title=Looking behind and looking ahead - an update from EVE Executive Producer CCP Seagull |access-date=December 13, 2015 |date=September 17, 2015 |author=CCP Seagull |publisher=eveonline.com |archive-date=December 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222093025/http://community.eveonline.com/news/dev-blogs/looking-behind-and-looking-ahead-an-update-from-executive-producer-ccp-seagull/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The first new expansion, which was announced at EVE Vegas 2015, introduced a new modular starbase called a Citadel, and an overhaul of capital-class ships.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://massivelyop.com/2015/10/24/eve-vegas-2015-citadel-expansion-details-revealed/ |title=EVE Vegas 2015: Citadel expansion details revealed |access-date=December 13, 2015 |date=October 24, 2015 |author=Brendan Drain |publisher=Massively OP |archive-date=December 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222163255/http://massivelyop.com/2015/10/24/eve-vegas-2015-citadel-expansion-details-revealed/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Planned future developments===
The developers have been working on a game feature to allow players to exit pods and interact with other player avatars in the communal setting of a station interior.<ref name="devblog401">{{cite web |url=http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=401 |title=Dev blog "Walking in Stations" |access-date=January 15, 2008 |date=November 17, 2006 |author=t0rfiFrans |publisher=eveonline.com |archive-date=February 8, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110208140336/http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=401 |url-status=live }}</ref>  The first iteration, called Captain's Quarters, was released on June 21, 2011.<ref name=devblog914>{{cite web |url=http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=914 |title=Dev blog "Incarna. Welcome your future." |access-date=May 30, 2011 |date=May 25, 2011 |author=CCP Zulu |publisher=eveonline.com |archive-date=May 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110528013323/http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=914 |url-status=live }}</ref> The second iteration, with stylised quarters for each race, was released with the Crucible expansion.<ref name="devblog947">{{cite web |url=http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=947 |title=Dev blog "Summer and Incarna 1.1" |access-date=August 24, 2011 |date=August 19, 2011 |author=CCP Fallout |publisher=eveonline.com |archive-date=September 6, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180906140704/https://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=947 |url-status=live }}</ref>  Player interaction in station environments has not yet been announced and only preliminary details have emerged.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

The ability to enter a planet's atmosphere and to interact with its surface is mentioned as one of the future development plans. The "Future Vision" trailer portrays Dreadnaught-class ships performing planetary orbital bombardments on Dust battlefields. The first glimpse trailer of Dust 514 ended with a ship exploding in the atmosphere.  However, the interaction between Dust and Eve has not been fully defined and no official confirmation has yet been provided.  At Eve Fanfest 2005, a working prototype was demonstrated in which a Caldari Crow interceptor could be seen navigating a makeshift landscape superimposed on a nebula.  However, this effort was later abandoned.  CCP has stated that full-scale integration of such features requires an enormous effort and is only planned for post-Revelations ([[Expansions of Eve Online|expansion]]) production phases, 2006.<ref name="devblog282">{{cite web |url=http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=282 |title=Dev blog "YARRBQ – My Fanfest Experience, Red Moon Rising, Kali and China" |access-date=January 15, 2008 |date=October 23, 2005 |author=Oveur |publisher=eveonline.com |archive-date=March 17, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100317202328/http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=282 |url-status=live }}</ref>  Subsequently, it was stated that, until a proven in-game reason is found for planetary access, further work on this feature will not have a high priority.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

====''Dust 514''====
{{Main|Dust 514}}
During the 2009 [[Games Convention]] in [[Cologne]], Germany, CCP unveiled ''[[Dust 514]]'', a console-based [[MMOFPS]] title meant to integrate with the ''Eve Online'' universe. According to developers, players hired by ''Eve Online'' alliances would fight over planets.<ref name="eve_at6_day6_preflight14">{{cite video |people=CCP Soundwave, Noah Ward, KIAEddZ, Verone (commentators) |date=February 13, 2009 |title=Eve Online – AT6 Day 6 Finals – Studio pre fight 14 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlF31FpmMX4 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725212451/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlF31FpmMX4| archive-date=2013-07-25 | url-status=dead|format=FLV |medium=Video commentary |publisher=CCP Games |location=Reykjavík, Iceland |access-date=March 4, 2009 |time=11min 54s }}</ref>

According to ''Eve Online'' Creative Director Torfi Frans Ólafsson, at the 2009 Eve Online Fanfest, the Dominion release is planned to involve sovereignty, the ownership of districts on planets that are capable of creating industry.<ref>{{cite video |people=Torfi Frans (presenter) |date=October 6, 2009 |title=EVE Online Fanfest 2009 – CCP Presents! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNhPig8inEY | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211113/rNhPig8inEY| archive-date=2021-11-13 | url-status=live|format=FLV |medium=Trailer |publisher=CCP Games |location=Reykjavík, Iceland |access-date=October 28, 2009}}{{cbignore}}</ref> This player ownership system will be dynamic as it will be subject to PvP diplomacy as well as subjugation. The latter allows for linking with ''Dust 514'', whereby players within ''Eve Online'' will be able to contract, in-game, ''Dust 514'' players to take control of planetary regions within the ''Eve Online'' universe and these 'mercenaries' will then vie with other ''Dust 514'' players hired by the opposing faction. The integration between the console MMOFPS game and the ''Eve Online'' MMORPG is both through community interaction and through the changeable battlefields based on the planetary architecture of a common universe{{snd}} the outcome of these battles in ''Dust 514'' will affect the status and ownership of the corresponding planets in ''Eve Online'' as well. At E3 2011, it was announced that ''Dust 514'' is a PlayStation 3 exclusive with a PS Vita tie-in, both to be released in early 2012.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

===Decompiled source code===
On May 20, 2011, decompiled ''EVE Online'' [[source code]] was published by an unknown person on a [[GitHub]] repository.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.geek.com/games/eve-online-source-code-posted-online-dmca-takedown-quickly-follows-1382821/ |title=Eve Online source code posted online, DMCA takedown quickly follows |first=Matthew |last=Humphries |date=May 25, 2011 |access-date=November 7, 2015 |publisher=geek.com |quote=It looks as though someone has posted the source code for the space MMO Eve Online there. As you’d imagine, developer [[CCP Games|CCP]] isn’t too happy about this and was quick to issue the takedown request. |archive-date=November 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118134516/http://www.geek.com/games/eve-online-source-code-posted-online-dmca-takedown-quickly-follows-1382821/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> After being online for four days, CCP issued a [[DMCA]] take-down request which was granted by GitHub.<ref>[https://github.com/github/dmca/blob/master/2011-05-24-cpp-virtual-world-operations.markdown dmca/2011-05-24-cpp-virtual-world-operations.markdown] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151108180512/https://github.com/github/dmca/blob/master/2011-05-24-cpp-virtual-world-operations.markdown |date=November 8, 2015}} on github.com</ref>

==Music==
{{Infobox album
| name       = EVE Online: Original Soundtrack, Vol. 1
| type       = soundtrack
| artist     = Real-X (Jón Hallur Haraldsson)
| cover      =
| caption    =
| alt        =
| released   = {{Start date|2009|8|12}}
| recorded   =
| venue      =
| studio     =
| genre      = [[Video game music|Video game soundtrack]]
| length     = 74:28
| label      =
| producer   =
| prev_title =
| prev_year  =
| next_title =
| next_year  =
}}
The ''Eve Online'' soundtrack was composed by Jón Hallur Haraldsson, also known as Real-X. Icelandic rap-rock group [[Quarashi]] also composed several tracks for the game. A digital soundtrack titled ''EVE Online: Original Soundtrack, Vol. 1'' was released on [[iTunes]] on August 12, 2009. The soundtrack comes with an audio book track ''EVE Chronicle – Taught Thoughts''. The soundtrack has since been removed from iTunes.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

The game itself contains an extensive in-game soundtrack. On December 4, 2012, the "Retribution" expansion of ''Eve Online'' was released. Among its features was the removal of the Jukebox, which enabled players to select their favorite songs to play.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eveonline.com/retribution/atmospheric-audio |title=Atmospheric Audio |access-date=June 24, 2014 |date=December 4, 2012 |publisher=CCP Games |archive-date=January 22, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140122074448/http://www.eveonline.com/retribution/atmospheric-audio/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> In tandem with this, CCP Games announced that the entire game soundtrack (consisting of music in the game at the time) would be available to download for free from [[SoundCloud]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://soundcloud.com/ccpgames/sets/eve-online-in-game-tracks |title=EVE Online - Soundtrack |access-date=June 24, 2014 |date=December 4, 2012 |publisher=CCP Games |archive-date=July 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714132335/https://soundcloud.com/ccpgames/sets/eve-online-in-game-tracks |url-status=live }}</ref> The soundtrack consists of 74 songs, with a running time of nearly seven hours.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

==Public perception==
===Virtual crime===
[[Piracy]] (in the ship-to-ship sense) is part of the game, as are [[protection racket]]eering, theft, and [[ransom]].<ref>
* {{cite web |title=Player Guide |publisher=CCP |url=http://wiki.eveonline.com/wiki/About_EVE_Online#Acquiring_Wealth |access-date=March 26, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090329092430/http://wiki.eveonline.com/wiki/About_EVE_Online#Acquiring_Wealth |archive-date=March 29, 2009 |df=mdy-all }}
* {{cite web |title=Piracy guide |publisher=CCP |url=http://wiki.eveonline.com/wiki/Piracy_guide |access-date=March 26, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090401210354/http://wiki.eveonline.com/wiki/Piracy_guide |archive-date=April 1, 2009 }}
* {{cite web |title=Corp theft policy |publisher=CCP |url=http://wiki.eveonline.com/wiki/Corp_theft |access-date=March 26, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090504235229/http://wiki.eveonline.com/wiki/Corp_theft |archive-date=May 4, 2009 }}
* {{cite web |title=Mercenary guide |publisher=CCP |url=http://wiki.eveonline.com/wiki/Mercenary_guide |access-date=March 26, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090424072125/http://wiki.eveonline.com/wiki/Mercenary_guide |archive-date=April 24, 2009 }}</ref> ''Eve Online'' periodically has arisen for discussion within the wider gaming community as players of the game find various ingenious methods of scamming, deceiving, or attacking each other. One infamous example was a corporate infiltration and [[wikt:heist|heist]] where one corporation infiltrated a target corporation over the course of nearly a year. They then performed a virtual assassination on the target's CEO and proceeded to steal corporate property to which they had gained access.  The target corporation lost billions of ISK worth of property (amounting to about US$16,500) and a great deal of prestige; the CEO's expensive ship and cybernetic implants were destroyed in the attack.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Francis |first=Tom |date=2015-11-26 |title=Murder Incorporated: ten months of deception for one kill in Eve Online |language=en |work=PC Gamer |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/murder-incorporated-ten-months-of-deception-for-one-kill-in-eve-online/ |access-date=2023-11-13 |archive-date=November 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231113084906/https://www.pcgamer.com/murder-incorporated-ten-months-of-deception-for-one-kill-in-eve-online/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Events of this nature are debated both inside the game world and in the media.<ref name="SoftpediaNewsEIBScam">{{cite web |url=http://news.softpedia.com/news/Eve-Online-Economy-Suffers-700-billion-ISK-Scam-33737.shtml |title=Eve Online Economy Suffers 700&nbsp;billion ISK Scam |access-date=July 3, 2007 |last=Stefanescu |first=Tudor |date=August 24, 2007 |publisher=Softpedia |archive-date=March 7, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307062653/http://news.softpedia.com/news/Eve-Online-Economy-Suffers-700-billion-ISK-Scam-33737.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2009, a player [[#Corporations and alliances|alliance]] known as Goonswarm was contacted by a disgruntled director of rival alliance Band of Brothers, one of the largest alliances in the game at that time. The defecting director then stripped Band of Brothers of a large quantity of assets including ships, money and territory, and disbanded the alliance.<ref>{{cite news |last=Graham |first=Flora |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7905924.stm |title=The struggle among the stars |work=BBC News |date=February 23, 2009 |access-date=April 21, 2011 |archive-date=May 15, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090515102831/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7905924.stm? |url-status=live }}</ref>

A player-run bank known as 'EBank' was also involved in controversy in 2009 when Ricdic, the CEO of the bank, withdrew 200 billion ISK and converted it into real world currency worth about {{AUDConvert|6100|r=-1}} to make a down payment on a home and pay for medical expenses.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8132547.stm|title=Billions stolen in online robbery|date=July 3, 2009|work=BBC News|access-date=February 20, 2014|archive-date=September 24, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220924003233/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8132547.stm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://uk.ign.com/articles/2009/07/16/ccp-on-the-ebank-scandal|title=CCP on the EBank Scandal|first=Jason|last=Ocampo|website=BBC News|date=July 16, 2009|access-date=February 20, 2014|archive-date=December 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231220163320/https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/07/16/ccp-on-the-ebank-scandal|url-status=live}}</ref>

Such dangers are an inherent part of ''Eve Online''{{'}}s virtual economy and thus are purposely not dealt with by the developers.<ref name="faq67spy">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/faq/faq_06.asp |title=Frequently Asked Questions, section 6.7: Can I be a corporate spy? |access-date=November 8, 2007 |author=[[CCP Games|CCP ehf.]] |publisher=[[CCP Games|CCP ehf.]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090222194735/http://www.eveonline.com/faq/faq_06.asp |archive-date=February 22, 2009 }}</ref> Players are expected to make financial decisions based (among other factors) on the possibility of other players' [[fiduciary]] [[malfeasance]], much as in real-life economics.

The most common acts of piracy in ''Eve'' are [[wiktionary:gank|ganking]], gate [[camping (video games)|camping]], and small gang warfare. Every pirate corporation in ''Eve Online'' has its own preferred activities, strategies, and tactics. Some utilize cheap but high damage ships to "suicide gank" and kill players in high-security space (where they should theoretically be safe) quickly before CONCORD law enforcement units arrive to destroy them (thus "suiciding"), in the knowledge that certain ships they destroy will be carrying valuable commodities or expensive gear capable of recovering the cost of the pirate vessels lost in the gank. Others choose to set up gate camping fleets consisting of varied ship types and roles capable of rapidly disabling and destroying any unwitting passersby, thereby locking down star systems and killing or robbing whoever tries to pass through. Other pirates choose to roam in very fast and versatile skirmish ships, such as interceptors, recons, or heavy assault ships, killing anyone they encounter in lightning attacks. On gaining the upper hand in a fight many pirates will ask the victim for an ISK ransom, in exchange for sparing their ship or escape pod.{{Citation needed|date=October 2011}}<!-- for this whole paragraph -->

Suicide ganking has declined in overall popularity since the release of the ''Crucible'' expansion; while players may opt to insure their ships against loss using in-game currency, pilots will no longer be reimbursed if their ship is destroyed by CONCORD.  Such changes have been the subject of intense debate on the game's official forums, with opinions divided on whether or not players should be truly 'safe' while flying.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

===Developer misconduct===
Instances of developer misconduct in ''Eve Online'' have been substantiated, leading to debates and controversy. On February 9, 2007, a player known as [[Anthony Zboralski|Kugutsumen]]<ref name=":0" /> hacked an enemy corporation's private forum to find out and reveal that ''Eve Online'' developer t20 had provided his corporation, Reikoku, with six valuable blueprints, giving them an advantage over competing corporations.<ref name="Eve Online">{{cite web |url=http://community.eveonline.com/news/dev-blogs/on-recent-allegations/ |title=Dev Blog "On recent allegations" |access-date=February 9, 2007 |date=February 9, 2007 |publisher=eveonline.com |archive-date=April 8, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408224204/http://community.eveonline.com/news/dev-blogs/on-recent-allegations/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Some within the ''Eve Online'' community asked for t20's dismissal. While an apology letter was left for the community in the form of a dev blog, he remained an ''Eve Online'' developer until late 2008. Kugutsumen was permanently banned from the ''Eve Online'' universe for violating the game's [[terms of service]] and [[Software license agreement|end-user license agreement]] by revealing t20's real name.<ref name=":0">{{cite web  |url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/interviews/1233-Jumpgate-EVE-Devs-Update-Another-Chat-with-Kugutsumen  |title=Jumpgate: EVE Devs Update - Another Chat with Kugutsumen  |access-date=February 10, 2007  |archive-date=August 8, 2007  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808115724/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/interviews/1233-Jumpgate-EVE-Devs-Update-Another-Chat-with-Kugutsumen  |url-status=dead  }}</ref>

In response to public concerns, CCP decided to set up an internal affairs division whose responsibility is to monitor the activities of both privileged and player accounts operated by CCP staff in-game.<ref name="devblog429">{{cite web |url=http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=429 |title=Dev blog "CCP's director of internal affairs: an introduction" |access-date=December 4, 2007 |author=CCP Arkanon |date=February 13, 2007 |publisher=[[CCP Games|CCP ehf.]] |archive-date=October 9, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091009144915/http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=429 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Council of Stellar Management===
In part due to the matters above, CCP invited users to stand for the first Council of Stellar Management (CSM) in March 2008, resulting in 66 candidates seeking election to nine positions.<ref name="New York Times">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/07/arts/07eve.html |title=Article "In a Virtual Universe, the Politics Turn Real" |access-date=January 26, 2008 |first=Seth |last=Schiesel |date=June 7, 2007 |work=The New York Times |archive-date=May 11, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511232935/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/07/arts/07eve.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="dev_blog_csm_timeline_xhagen">{{cite web |url=http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=545 |title=Dev blog "The Council of Stellar Management" |access-date=June 15, 2008 |author=CCP Xhagen |date=March 18, 2008 |publisher=eveonline.com |archive-date=June 4, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100604054429/http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=545 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="csm_overview_pdf">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/download/devblog/CSMSummary.pdf |title=The CSM – A Summary Explanation of the Council of Stellar Management |access-date=June 15, 2008 |first=Pétur Jóhannes |last=Óskarsson |date=April 18, 2008 |publisher=eveonline.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090313011413/http://www.eveonline.com/download/devblog/CSMSummary.pdf |archive-date=March 13, 2009 }}</ref><ref name="dev_blog_csm_results_xhagen">{{cite web |url=http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=562 |title=Dev blog "Council of Stellar Management: The Results Are in!" |access-date=June 15, 2008 |author=CCP Xhagen |date=May 21, 2008 |publisher=eveonline.com |archive-date=February 17, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100217161054/http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=562 |url-status=live }}</ref> It was a requirement that candidates release their full real names in addition to stating their in-game details.<ref name="forum_post_xhagen_csm_real_names">{{cite web |url=http://www.eveonline.com/ingameboard.asp?a=topic&threadID=729021&page=3#78 |title=Eve Online forum topic "The Council of Stellar Management, new blog by Xhagen" |access-date=June 15, 2008 |author=CCP Xhagen |date=March 19, 2008 |publisher=eveonline.com |archive-date=April 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150417011956/http://www.eveonline.com/ingameboard.asp?a=topic&threadID=729021&page=3#78 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In May, after a two-week voting period, the first Council was elected, comprising seven men and two women; three each from the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, two from the US and one from Denmark, their ages ranging from 17 to 52.<ref name="dev_blog_csm_results_xhagen" />

The remit of the council has been changed since it was first proposed and is now seen by CCP primarily as a route for players to make requests for changes and improvements to the game mechanics, presentation, and game content of ''Eve Online''. The first four Councils served for six months, after which new ones were to be elected.<ref name="csm_overview_pdf" /> Each individual was only permitted to serve twice. Each CSM gets the authority to put requests to CCP three times during their term of office which CCP have stated must be answered; once in person in Iceland and twice by e-mail, with most of the costs of their visit to Iceland being borne by CCP.<ref name="csm_overview_pdf" /> The rules were changed for the fifth CSM to feature one-year terms with two Iceland trips and four email requests, as well as the abolition of the two-term limit.{{Citation needed|date=September 2016}}

The first meeting of the CSM with CCP took place in Reykjavik between June 19 and 23, 2008, and included not only the nine CSM members but a number of developers, designers, [[Gamemaster|game masters]], and producers from CCP and members of print and video media.<ref name="NYT_on_CSM">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/28/arts/television/28eve.html?ref=arts |title=Face to Face: A Council of online gamers |access-date=June 28, 2008 |first=Seth |last=Schiesel |date=June 28, 2008 |work=new York Times |archive-date=October 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018220308/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/28/arts/television/28eve.html?ref=arts |url-status=live }}</ref> Matters discussed by players on the ''Eve Online'' forums were reviewed in detail and whilst some were rejected for technical reasons, many were accepted by CCP as useful improvements to the game which would be introduced either in an early so-called point release or added to the development plans for a future major update.{{Citation needed|date=September 2016}}

Nominations for the second CSM opened on September 26, 2008, with voting commencing on November 9. The following third Council of Stellar Management included a modified age restriction: candidates under the age of 21 are then no longer eligible as CSM members.<ref name="blog_post_csm_2_starting">{{cite web |url=http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=582 |title=Dev blog "First CSM Term Close to Ending, Warming up for the Second One!" |access-date=September 26, 2008 |author=CCP Xhagen |date=September 25, 2008 |publisher=eveonline.com |archive-date=February 8, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110208185543/http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&bid=582 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Beginning with the eighth CSM, a [[single transferable vote]] system was introduced, allowing voters to select up to 14 candidates.<ref name="joystiq_csm_8">"{{Citation
| url = http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/28/eve-onlines-8th-council-of-stellar-management-members-announced/
| title = EVE Online's 8th Council of Stellar Management members announced
| publisher = [[Joystiq]]
| access-date = March 24, 2014
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140210123635/http://massively.joystiq.com/2013/04/28/eve-onlines-8th-council-of-stellar-management-members-announced/
| archive-date = February 10, 2014
| url-status = dead
}}</ref>

==Accounts and subscriptions==
Users start playing ''Eve Online'' by creating a free account (known as an Alpha account), being invited to the game as via the game's Recruit-A-Friend program, or purchasing the ''Eve Online'' Special Edition retail box.<ref name="eve_specialedition">{{cite web|url=http://www.eveonline.com/pressreleases/default.asp?pressReleaseID=53 |title=CCP and Atari Announce Contents of EVE Online Retail Box |access-date=April 6, 2008 |author=CCP Games |publisher=eveonline.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090301014935/http://www.eveonline.com/pressreleases/default.asp?pressReleaseID=53 |archive-date=March 1, 2009 }}</ref> Alpha accounts are freely available through both the ''Eve Online'' website and the [[Steam (service)|Steam content delivery system]]. The accounts through the Recruit-A-Friend program function identically to normal Alpha accounts, but start with some additional unallocated skill points (worth approximately 5–6 days worth of training time) on their first character. In addition, if the recruited account is subsequently converted to a subscription account (known as an Omega account), the referrer is rewarded with 30 free days of subscription time or the equivalent amount of PLEX.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

Alpha accounts are free and allow players to access most of the ''Eve Online'' game, with exceptions. Alpha players cannot train skills for some advanced ship types or modules, including all Tech 2 ships and most Tech 2 modules.  Alpha accounts can also only passive train up to 5 million skill points using the normal skill training system.  After that limit, the only way they can acquire more skill points is by converting to Omega, using skill point injectors (available on the in-game market), or skill point rewards, e.g. by the AIR Career Program or the Daily Skilling Spree.  In December, 2017, an additional item called a Daily Alpha Injector was added to the game, available for purchase via the official game store for PLEX.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.eveonline.com/article/new-alpha-training-option/ |title=New alpha training option! |author=[[CCP Games]] |publisher=eveonline.com |date=November 14, 2017 |access-date=February 23, 2018 |archive-date=February 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180224053202/https://www.eveonline.com/article/new-alpha-training-option/ |url-status=live }}</ref>  This item is only usable by Alpha accounts, is only usable once per day, awards a number of skill points roughly equal to a full 24 hours of training time, and costs slightly more than 1/30 as much as a 30-day subscription.  This allows Alpha accounts to progress at a similar rate and cost to an Omega account even beyond the 5 million skill point limit, but to purchase that progression in smaller increments than a full 30-day subscription.  Alpha accounts are limited to a specific list of skills and levels in those skills, and are unable to inject skill points into disallowed skills or beyond the maximum level in allowed skills.  Alpha accounts have approximately 20.5 million skillpoints worth of skills available to them.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

Omega accounts that lapse on their subscription are downgraded to Alpha accounts.  These accounts don't ''lose'' any skill points or skills, but any skills or skill levels beyond those allowed for an Alpha account are inactive and cannot be used to fulfill the prerequisites of modules or ships, nor do the passive effects of those skills take effect.  Functionally, Omega accounts that lapse into Alpha accounts can only access and use any of those skills that are on the Alpha skill list (and thus may not be able to fly ships that they could as an Omega pilot), but if they later upgrade back to Omega, they regain access to their full skill list.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

As of June 2008, Eve Time Codes (or ETCs) are available exclusively in 60-day increments. Before then, they were also offered in 30-, 50-, 90-, 100- and 120-day increments. Discontinued cards remain valid. Players using ETCs are treated like normal subscribers in every way. Eve Time Codes are available through CCP's online store as well as via online resellers.<ref name="EveETCResellerPage">{{cite web |url=https://secure.eveonline.com/etc.aspx |title=Officially maintained Eve Time Code resellers |access-date=January 15, 2008 |author=CCP Games |publisher=eveonline.com |archive-date=February 9, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110209004236/https://secure.eveonline.com/etc.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> Cards purchased through resellers are usually delivered through email for immediate use while codes issued through the ''Eve Online'' store are issued via postal mail or in-game item, and as such ETCs do not violate the EULA and can be bought and sold within the game.<ref name="bk_498">{{cite web|url=http://support.eveonline.com/Pages/KB/Article.aspx?id=498 |title=Buying 30 day Concord Pilot License Extension through the EVE Online website |access-date=February 12, 2009 |author=CCP Games |publisher=eveonline.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100417111903/http://support.eveonline.com/Pages/KB/Article.aspx?id=498 |archive-date=April 17, 2010 }}</ref> There are no distinguishing differences in functionality between digital and hard-copy codes. Both provide the exact amount of specified game time, are entered into the same account section and can be exchanged between players for ISK using a secure exchange system facilitated by a "Timecode Bazaar" forum.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

In November 2008, CCP introduced PLEX, the CONCORD Pilots License EXtension, which is an in-game item that can be used to extend a subscription for 30 days.  PLEX can be purchased on the Eve Online website for real money, or inside the game for ISK.  60-day ETCs can be converted to two 30-day PLEX within the Eve Online client, which can then be sold via the in-game market. PLEX is the reason that the cost of in-game assets can be translated into real-life money. As the price of a PLEX is around €15, it can be calculated how much a certain ship or implant is theoretically worth in a real currency.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

In May 2017, CCP converted PLEX into smaller increments.  All existing PLEX were converted to 500 of the new PLEX (which are exclusively referred to as PLEX in-game, rather than Pilot License EXtension, though the acronym meaning remains unchanged).  30 days subscriptions now cost 500 PLEX, effectively the same cost as previously.  The previous premium currency, Aurum, was retired and converted to PLEX at the same exchange rate as PLEX could be exchanged for Aurum previously (1 old PLEX per 3500 Aurum, so 1 new PLEX per 7 Aurum), provided the account had at least 1000 Aurum to convert.  All items in the premium store that used to cost Aurum now cost an equivalent number of PLEX.  This allowed CCP to market more granular deals on PLEX, as well as price certain services for PLEX with more granularity.  For example, Multiple Character Training used to cost 1 PLEX, the same prices as 30 days of subscription time, but now costs 450 PLEX, 90% of the cost of 30 days of subscription time.  In the same patch, CCP also introduced the PLEX Vault, a safe and secure way of moving PLEX around in-game without risking the item being lost if one's ship were destroyed.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.eveonline.com/article/plex-changes-on-the-way |title=PLEX changes on the way! |author=[[CCP Games]] |publisher=eveonline.com |date=March 16, 2017 |access-date=February 23, 2018 |archive-date=February 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180224053238/https://www.eveonline.com/article/plex-changes-on-the-way |url-status=live }}</ref>

As of March 10, 2009, a boxed edition is available in shops. The distribution is being managed by [[Atari]].<ref name="eve_atari_boxed_version" /> The boxed edition includes a 60-day ETC, instant standings update to facilitate quicker entry into factional warfare, exclusive online new player guide, and an exclusive expanded cargo hold shuttle. Although marketed as included in the retail box, the bonus items are only available to new accounts created with the 60-day ETC.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tentonhammer.com/node/64591 |title=EVE Online Box Edition Features Tons of Extras! |access-date=March 3, 2009 |author=Savanja |work=tentonhammer.com |publisher=Master Games International |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226210726/http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/64591 |archive-date=February 26, 2009 }}</ref>

===Subscribers===
Note: As of 2014, CCP no longer releases active subscription counts to the public.
{{Chart|definition=Eve Online active subscribers worldwide.chart|data=Eve Online active subscribers worldwide.tab|Width=750}}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+{{sronly|Eve Online active subscribers worldwide}}
|-
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Subscribers (in thousands)
|-
! scope="row" | 2003
| {{formatnum:25}}<ref name="Eve Online 2010Q4 QEN"/>
|-
! scope="row" | 2004
| {{formatnum:50}}<ref name="Eve Online 2010Q4 QEN"/>
|-
! scope="row" | 2005
| {{formatnum:75}}<ref name="Eve Online 2010Q4 QEN"/>
|-
! scope="row" | 2006
| {{formatnum:100}}<ref name="ccpgames1">{{cite web|url=http://www.ccpgames.com/en/company/timeline |title=Timeline |publisher=Ccpgames.Com |access-date=October 24, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131030131538/http://www.ccpgames.com/en/company/timeline |archive-date=October 30, 2013 }}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | 2007
| {{formatnum:150}}<ref name="Eve Online 2010Q4 QEN"/>
|-
! scope="row" | 2008
| {{formatnum:200}}<ref name="ccpgames1"/>
|-
! scope="row" | 2009
| {{formatnum:300}}<ref name="ccpgames1"/>
|-
! scope="row" | 2010
| {{formatnum:357}}<ref name="Eve Online 2010Q4 QEN"/><ref>{{cite web|title=CCP Consolidated Financial Statements 2010 |url=http://www.ccpgames.com/media/47053/ccp%202010%20consolidated%20financial%20statements.pdf |access-date=October 24, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029193716/http://www.ccpgames.com/media/47053/ccp%202010%20consolidated%20financial%20statements.pdf |archive-date=October 29, 2013 }}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | 2011
| {{formatnum:351}}<ref>{{cite web|title=CCP Consolidated Financial Statements 2011 |url=http://www.ccpgames.com/media/47056/ccp%202011%20consolidated%20financial%20statements.pdf |access-date=October 24, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029184801/http://www.ccpgames.com/media/47056/ccp%202011%20consolidated%20financial%20statements.pdf |archive-date=October 29, 2013 }}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | 2012
| {{formatnum:400}}<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/252940/inside_eve_onlines_fanfest_2012.html| title=Inside EVE Online's Fanfest 2012| access-date=April 18, 2012| date=March 20, 2012| author=Alex Rubens| work=[[PCWorld (magazine)|PCWorld]]| archive-date=April 4, 2012| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404194122/http://www.pcworld.com/article/252940/inside_eve_onlines_fanfest_2012.html| url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | 2013
| {{formatnum:500}}<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/eve-online-crosses-500000-subscribers-6404650| title=EVE Online crosses 500,000 subscribers| access-date=February 28, 2013| date=February 28, 2013| author=Eddie Makuch| work=[[GameSpot]]| archive-date=March 2, 2013| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130302095237/http://www.gamespot.com/news/eve-online-crosses-500000-subscribers-6404650| url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=CCP Consolidated Financial Statements 2012 |url=http://www.ccpgames.com/media/47002/ccp%202012%20consolidated%20financial%20statements.pdf |access-date=October 24, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029210040/http://www.ccpgames.com/media/47002/ccp%202012%20consolidated%20financial%20statements.pdf |archive-date=October 29, 2013 }}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | 2014
| {{formatnum:485}}<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://massivelyop.com/2015/04/19/eve-evolved-how-many-subscriptions-does-eve-have/|title=EVE Evolved: How many subscriptions does EVE have?|work=Massively Overpowered|access-date=2018-03-18|language=en-US|archive-date=March 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180320084556/http://massivelyop.com/2015/04/19/eve-evolved-how-many-subscriptions-does-eve-have/|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|}

==Reception==
{{Video game reviews
| GR = 75%<ref name="GR">{{cite web |url=https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/430571-eve-online/index.html |title=EVE Online for PC |website=[[GameRankings]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=January 29, 2013 |archive-date=January 18, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130118123931/http://www.gamerankings.com/pc/430571-eve-online/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />(''Exodus'') 90%<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/925163-eve-online-exodus/index.html |title=EVE Online: Exodus for PC |website=[[GameRankings]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=September 8, 2018 |archive-date=September 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180909000453/https://www.gamerankings.com/pc/925163-eve-online-exodus/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
| MC = 69/100<ref name="MC">{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/eve-online/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=EVE Online for PC Reviews |website=[[Metacritic]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=January 29, 2013 |archive-date=November 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231105050357/https://www.metacritic.com/game/eve-online/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |url-status=live }}</ref><br />(''Special Edition'') 88/100<ref name="MCSE">{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/eve-online-special-edition/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=EVE Online: Special Edition for PC Reviews |website=[[Metacritic]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=September 8, 2018 |archive-date=November 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231105050357/https://www.metacritic.com/game/eve-online-special-edition/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |url-status=live }}</ref><br />(''Commissioned Officer Edition'') 77/100<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/eve-online-commissioned-officer-edition/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |title=EVE Online: Commissioned Officer Edition for PC Reviews |website=[[Metacritic]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=September 8, 2018 |archive-date=December 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231220163304/https://www.metacritic.com/game/eve-online-commissioned-officer-edition/critic-reviews/?platform=pc |url-status=live }}</ref>
| Edge = 8/10<ref>''Edge (June 2003, p.97)''</ref>
| GameRev = B+<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/eve-online |title=EVE Online Review |publisher=Gamerevolution.com |access-date=October 29, 2013 |archive-date=October 12, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151012033727/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/eve-online |url-status=live }}</ref>
| GSpot = 8/10<ref>{{cite web |first=Nick |last=Capozzoli |url=http://www.gamespot.com/eve-online/ |title=EVE Online Review |website=GameSpot |date=November 26, 2013 |access-date=November 27, 2013 |archive-date=November 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131125032914/http://www.gamespot.com/eve-online/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
| GSpy = {{rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/eve-online/5888p1.html |title=GameSpy: EVE Online: The Second Genesis - Page 1 |publisher=Pc.gamespy.com |access-date=October 29, 2013 |archive-date=February 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224031717/http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/eve-online/5888p1.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
| GameZone = 8.8/10<ref>{{cite web|last=Lafferty |first=Michael |title=EVE Online: Apocrypha Review |publisher=GameZone |date=April 10, 2009 |url=http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r37259.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090413205219/http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r37259.htm |archive-date=April 13, 2009}}</ref>
| IGN = 8/10<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2003/06/23/eve-online |title=EVE Online |website=IGN |date=June 23, 2003 |access-date=October 29, 2013 |archive-date=October 26, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131026112939/http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/06/23/eve-online |url-status=live }}</ref>
| rev1 = ''[[PC Magazine]]''
| rev1Score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite web |last=Vernon |first=Ari |url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,1230624,00.asp |title=EVE Online Review & Rating |publisher=PCMag.com |access-date=October 29, 2013 |archive-date=October 28, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131028044959/http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,1230624,00.asp |url-status=live }}</ref>
| award1 = MMORPG.com Best Over All Game 2007
| award2 = Best MMO of 2008 Beckett Massive Online Gamer
| award3 = MMORPG.com Game of the Year 2009
| award4 = MMORPG.com Game of the Year 2010
| award5 = MMORPG.com Game of the Year 2011
}}

''Eve Online'' received mixed reviews at the launch of the game in 2003 but more favorable reviews later in its lifecycle. The original version received 75% on [[GameRankings]] and 69/100 on [[Metacritic]].{{r|GR|MC}} The ''Special Edition'' released in 2009 has an aggregate score of 88/100 on Metacritic.<ref name="MCSE" />

In 2004, the [[Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences]] nominated the expansion ''Eve Online: Second Genesis'' for "[[D.I.C.E. Award for Role-Playing Game of the Year|Massively Multiplayer/Persistent World Game of the Year]]" at the [[7th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.interactive.org/awards/award_category_details.asp?idAward=2004&idGameAwardType=74 |title=2004 Awards Category Details Massively Multiplayer/Persistent World Game of the Year |publisher=[[Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences]] |website=interactive.org |access-date=8 November 2023 |archive-date=November 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106011036/https://www.interactive.org/awards/award_category_details.asp?idAward=2004&idGameAwardType=74 |url-status=live }}</ref> Then for three consecutive years, the academy also nominated the following expansions for "Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year": ''Revelations'' in [[10th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards|2007]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.interactive.org/awards/award_category_details.asp?idAward=2007&idGameAwardType=73 |title=2007 Awards Category Details Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year |publisher=[[Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences]] |website=interactive.org |access-date=8 November 2023 |archive-date=November 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231108182828/https://www.interactive.org/awards/award_category_details.asp?idAward=2007&idGameAwardType=73 |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Trinity'' in [[11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards|2008]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.interactive.org/awards/award_category_details.asp?idAward=2008&idGameAwardType=73 |title=2008 Awards Category Details Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year |publisher=[[Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences]] |website=interactive.org |access-date=December 4, 2023 |archive-date=November 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231114230331/https://www.interactive.org/awards/award_category_details.asp?idAward=2008&idGameAwardType=73 |url-status=live }}</ref> and ''Quantum Rise'' in [[12th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards|2009]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.interactive.org/awards/award_category_details.asp?idAward=2009&idGameAwardType=73 |title=2009 Awards Category Details Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year |publisher=[[Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences]] |website=interactive.org |access-date=December 4, 2023 |archive-date=November 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231118212039/https://www.interactive.org/awards/award_category_details.asp?idAward=2009&idGameAwardType=73 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2013, ''[[PC Gamer]]'' placed ''Eve Online'' at #12 on their list of 100 Greatest Games of All Time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/11/19/eve-rubicon-interview-on-star-gates-space-colonisation-and-valkyrie/|title=Eve Rubicon interview: on star gates, space colonisation and Eve Valkyrie|work=PC Gamer|date=November 19, 2013|last1=Warr|first1=Philippa|access-date=November 22, 2013|archive-date=November 23, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131123014115/http://www.pcgamer.com/2013/11/19/eve-rubicon-interview-on-star-gates-space-colonisation-and-valkyrie/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In June 2013, the [[Museum of Modern Art]] added ''Eve Online'' to its [[List of video games in the Museum of Modern Art|permanent collection of video games]]. The game is showcased as a "day in the universe" video. To create this, CCP Games called upon ''Eve Online''{{'}}s large player-base to provide gameplay footage of the game. Furthermore, CCP Games contributed a large amount of data from its servers, which were compiled to produce a "stunning view" of the accomplishments of player collaborations.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://venturebeat.com/2015/05/12/eve-online-exhibit-to-become-a-permanent-fixture-at-new-yorks-museum-of-modern-art/|title=Eve Online exhibit to become a permanent fixture at New York's Museum of Modern Art|work=[[VentureBeat]]|last=Takahashi|first=Dean|date=May 12, 2015|access-date=August 31, 2017|archive-date=September 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908160859/http://venturebeat.com/2015/05/12/eve-online-exhibit-to-become-a-permanent-fixture-at-new-yorks-museum-of-modern-art/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Awards===
* PC Gamer Sweden: Best Online RPG 2003<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pcgamer.se/ |title=#1 :: PC Gamer |language=sv |publisher=Pcgamer.se |access-date=April 21, 2011 |archive-date=April 27, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060427191234/http://www.pcgamer.se/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* SuperPlay GULDPIXELN 2003: Online Game of the year<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.superplay.se/ |title=#1 – FZ.se |language=sv |publisher=Superplay.se |access-date=April 21, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091021110937/http://www.superplay.se/ |archive-date=October 21, 2009 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
* 2003 Gamespy Best Graphics<ref>[http://www.gamespy.com/goty2003/pc/index18.shtml] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031226231759/http://www.gamespy.com/goty2003/pc/index18.shtml|date=December 26, 2003}}</ref>
* 2005 MMORPG.com Best Graphics, Best PvP, Favorite Company, and Reader's Choice Best Game<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mmorpg.com/showFeature.cfm/loadFeature/388/page/1/from/ |title=2005 Reader's Choice Award Winners a Awards at |publisher=Mmorpg.com |date=January 16, 2006 |access-date=April 21, 2011 |archive-date=May 19, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519091111/http://www.mmorpg.com/showFeature.cfm/loadFeature/388/page/1/from/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* 2006 MMORPG.com Favorite Graphics, Favorite PvE, Favorite PvP, Favorite Story, and Favorite Game<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mmorpg.com/showFeature.cfm/loadFeature/1043 |title=2006 Reader's Choice Award Winners a Awards at |publisher=Mmorpg.com |date=December 29, 2006 |access-date=April 21, 2011 |archive-date=April 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110410002009/http://www.mmorpg.com/showFeature.cfm/loadFeature/1043 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* 2007 MMORPG.com Best Overall Game of 2007<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mmorpg.com/showFeature.cfm/loadFeature/1656/page/9 |title=2007 Best Overall Game of 2007 at |publisher=Mmorpg.com |date=January 4, 2008 |access-date=February 2, 2012 |archive-date=January 3, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120103110910/http://www.mmorpg.com/showFeature.cfm/loadFeature/1656/page/9 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* 2009 MMORPG.com Game of the Year<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/14/feature/3908 |title=EVE Online Awards: 2009 Game of the Year at |date=January 11, 2010 |publisher=Mmorpg.com |access-date=April 21, 2011 |archive-date=March 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110317033055/http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/14/feature/3908 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* 2010 MMORPG.com Game of the Year<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mmorpg.com/showFeature.cfm/loadFeature/4896 |title=2010 Awards: Game of the Year a Awards at |publisher=Mmorpg.com |date=January 14, 2011 |access-date=April 21, 2011 |archive-date=March 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110304002540/http://www.mmorpg.com/showFeature.cfm/loadFeature/4896 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* 2011 MMORPG.com Game of the Year<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mmorpg.com/showFeature.cfm/loadFeature/6016 |title=2011 Awards: Game of the Year a Awards at |publisher=Mmorpg.com |date=January 20, 2012 |access-date=January 20, 2012 |archive-date=January 31, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120131095601/http://www.mmorpg.com/showFeature.cfm/loadFeature/6016 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Other media==
In 2013, CCP said that they had made deals to create both a comic book and a television series based on ''Eve Online''. The comic, titled ''Eve: True Stories'', was released by [[Dark Horse Comics]] and made available for free online in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://community.eveonline.com/news/dev-blogs/eve-true-stories-the-comic-book-based-on-true-events-20.000-years-into-the-future|title=DARK HORSE PRESENTS EVE: TRUE STORIES – ISSUE #1 OUT NOW!|date=February 19, 2014|access-date=September 25, 2017|archive-date=September 25, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170925230021/https://community.eveonline.com/news/dev-blogs/eve-true-stories-the-comic-book-based-on-true-events-20.000-years-into-the-future|url-status=live}}</ref> Following this, a physical version of the graphic novel containing bonus material was made available that same year. To make the television series, CCP signed a deal with Icelandic director [[Baltasar Kormákur]]. As of May 2013, no information has been given about the title or the premiere date of the television series. The storylines from both the graphic novel and the television series will be based on actual player-driven events that happened in the game.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ccpgames.com/en/public-relations/press-releases/article/74964/ccp-games-and-dark-horse-team-up-for-eve-comic-and-sourcebook-projects/ |title=CCP Games and Dark Horse Team Up for EVE Comic and Sourcebook Projects |publisher=CCP Games |date=April 27, 2013 |access-date=May 4, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130503104322/http://www.ccpgames.com/en/public-relations/press-releases/article/74964/ccp-games-and-dark-horse-team-up-for-eve-comic-and-sourcebook-projects/ |archive-date=May 3, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ccpgames.com/en/public-relations/press-releases/article/74963/ccp-games-signs-deal-eve-universe-television-series-baltasar-kormakur/ |title=CCP Games Signs Deal to Develop EVE Universe Television Series with Baltasar Kormákur |publisher=CCP Games |date=April 27, 2013 |access-date=May 4, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130503104307/http://www.ccpgames.com/en/public-relations/press-releases/article/74963/ccp-games-signs-deal-eve-universe-television-series-baltasar-kormakur/ |archive-date=May 3, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.videogamefilms.com/baltasar-kormakur-talks-eve-online-tv-series/|title='EVE Online' TV series update from Baltasar Kormákur|work=VIDEO GAME FILMS|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130817135627/http://www.videogamefilms.com/baltasar-kormakur-talks-eve-online-tv-series/|archive-date=August 17, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref> The board game ''[[EVE: Conquests]]'' was based on ''Eve Online''.<ref>https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/38703/eve-conquests</ref>

===Tie-in novels===
* ''EVE: The Empyrean Age'' (2009) by Tony Gonzalez<ref>{{cite book|title=EVE: The Empyrean Age|isbn=978-0765363909|last1=Gonzales|first1=Tony|date=August 4, 2009|publisher=Tom Doherty Associates }}</ref>
* ''EVE: The Burning Life'' (2010) by Hyalti Danielsson<ref>{{cite book|title=EVE: The Burning Life|isbn=978-0765325297|last1=Danielsson|first1=Hjalti|date=March 30, 2010|publisher=Tor Publishing }}</ref>
* ''EVE: Templar One'' (2012) by Tony Gonzalez<ref>{{cite book|title=EVE: Templar One|isbn=978-0765326195|last1=Gonzales|first1=Tony|date=January 3, 2012|publisher=Tor Publishing }}</ref>

==See also==
* ''[[Elite Dangerous]]''
* ''[[Star Citizen]]''
* ''[[No Man's Sky]]''

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=nb}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website|https://www.eveonline.com/}}
* {{moby game|id=/eve-online}}
* {{IMDb title|tt0398038}}

{{CCP Games}}
{{Authority control}}

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