The universe of EVE: Online is set to get a major shake-up this month. EVE Online: Invasion launches May 28, bringing the hostile race known as the Triglavians into New Eden. 

Developer CCP says it’s a literal invasion, and on a scale never before seen in the game. The Triglavians can currently be encountered in Abyssal Deadspace, the instanced PvE environment that was introduced with the Into the Abyss expansion last year. It seems they’ve gotten tired of waiting for daring pilots to wander into their front yards and are taking the fight to EVE’s more familiar systems, where CCP says they’ll be moving to the “forefront of the game.”

And because of how EVE is set up as a persistent world, the arrival of the Triglavian Collective means gameworld-altering events are sure to cascade out from this invasion.

“The Invasion expansion will provide a new presence and dimension to gameplay in New Eden that will bring players back time and again, inspiring them to be a part of history unfolding, the effects of which promise to change the EVE universe forever,” CCP says in a press release.

Speaking perhaps a bit more practically, Invasion will also be adding three new Tech II-category Triglavian ships to the game: a frigate, a destroyer, and a cruiser. The Abyssal Deadspace will be getting new mutaplasmids, which players can find and then use on ship modules to alter stats in unpredictable (and sometimes unfortunate) ways.

The best part is that the expansion will be free for all players. You can find out more at the official site.

While it's May 4th and everybody's celebrating a certain sci-fi franchise, EVE Online is also celebrating. From now until May 20, 2019, you'll find a host of in-game goodies—one available for every day of the 16-day celebration—in honour of the game's sixteenth anniversary.

"We’re super happy to announce that from May 2nd through to May 20th, all pilots can join in the festivities and celebrate EVE Online’s sixteenth birthday, regardless of their clone status!" says an update on the official website. "Log in over the course of the celebration between these dates and collect your free gifts as you go. There’s a total of sixteen days of gifts, celebrating more than a decade and a half of amazing player stories."

Both Alpha and Omega pilots can claim rewards on a daily basis, although the Omega rewards will be "a bit more valuable". If you’re an Alpha pilot and you like the look of the rewards that Omegas have up for grabs, don't panic—if you can upgrade after the celebrations start you be able to receive all the omega rewards you missed retroactively.

"There’s all manner of gifts and rewards up for grabs including celebratory trinkets, faction ammunition, exclusive XVI anniversary SKINs, apparel and even a monocle, as well as Society of Conscious Thought hulls, celebratory Permaband SKINs and clothing, along with fireworks and abyssal filaments," the update reveals.

Log in every one of the sixteen days and you could also win a share of over a million skillpoints, too.

EVE Online's developer CCP Games caused quite a stir a few weeks ago when it permanently banned Brian Schoeneman, a real-life lobbyist who leveraged his real-world political experience to get elected into EVE's own council of in-game politicians. 

At the time, CCP accused Schoeneman, known in-game as Brisc Rubal, and two others of using confidential information protected under a non-disclosure agreement to gain a financial edge in-game—EVE Online's own version of insider trading. But after conducting a full investigation, CCP Games has announced they got it all wrong and the affected parties have been unbanned.