The siege of Zarzakh has ended! After their attempt to overcome its defenses using strange breach engines in systems with gates to Zarzakh was thwarted by courageous capsuleers, Drifter forces have been pushed back for now.
Subsequently, a shrouded structure of unknown origin, possibly the target of the siege, has appeared in Zarzakh without explanation. Intercepted messages indicate that something of note is set to occur soon, although the exact timing is currently unclear.
Capsuleers are invited to investigate the mysterious structure in Zarzakh for themselves, but as of yet, no official explanation for its sudden appearance has been offered. Furthermore, rumors are circulating that Thukker ships are preparing for maneuvers in the Altrinur system.
THE SIEGE IN NUMBERS
The siege of Zarzakh has been bloody and intense, taking its toll on capsuleers’ fleet as well as enriching the most intrepid pilots. Over 500 ships, worth well over 100 billion ISK, have been lost to Tyrannos Strategos, while Drifter officers have dropped more than 700 modules. At the same time, capsuleers have destroyed well over 3,000 Horizon Breach Engines.
The Drifter forces have been driven back for now, but what is next for Zarzakh?
EVE Fanfest is coming to Harpa conference hall in Reykjavik in May 2025, and the stage is set for capsuleers to shine! Step up and captivate the EVE community with your stories, knowledge, and creativity. This is your moment to lead New Eden!
Whether you’re an expert in the intricate mechanics of EVE or a passionate capsuleer with a special area of interest - be it play style, community, activity, lore, leadership, or anything else - we want to hear from you!
All players, seasoned veterans, and new pilots alike, are encouraged to seize this opportunity to share their stories, experiences, and knowledge with space friends. To apply, send a detailed outline of your proposed topic to communityteam@ccpgames.com by 1 December 2024.
Presentations should be a maximum of 30 minutes long, with an allotted 15 minutes for Q&A afterward. Any accepted applicant’s PowerPoint presentation must be submitted for review by March 2025.
In addition to the excitement that comes with presenting your passion to your fellow capsuleers, all accepted presenters will receive a free ticket to Fanfest 2025 (or a refund for those who have already purchased one), as well as access to special facilities at the venue to relax and prepare for their appearances.
Whether or not you’re looking to present, there’s still room for more space friends at Fanfest! ❤️ Get your tickets while they’re still available!
Fly Safe - we’ll see you in space and in Reykjavik next May!
New Eden stands at the brink of transformation with the latest sovereignty upgrades, quality-of-life enhancements, and content changes now live across the cluster. These updates, shaped by valuable feedback from the EVE community, make it easier than ever to navigate sovereignty transitions, explore new opportunities in nullsec, and optimize your strategic operations.
Transition Now
The new sovereignty system introduced in the Equinox expansion was intended to make sovereign space more meaningful and valuable to control, but also fight for, adding new resources and additional challenges. The EVE community and the Council of Stellar Management (CSM) have provided valuable feedback, which has informed improvements in multiple areas to make switching to the new system even simpler and more appealing.
To further simplify the process of adapting the sovereignty system, the requirement for alliances to pay off outstanding bills before transitioning has been removed. This allows alliances to focus more on strategic decisions and operational planning rather than on managing finances.
The new update also brings enhanced value to nullsec anomalies. The Major Threat Detection Arrays, a core feature of the upgraded sovereignty system, now provide better-value anomalies across all levels of truesec. This adjustment ensures that alliances, regardless of their location in nullsec, have more lucrative options for combat and exploration, creating more opportunities for both solo pilots and large fleets to benefit from improved PvE content.
Mining operations in nullsec have added versatility with the introduction of a new tier of mining upgrades. This new tier is significantly less expensive but also less efficient, offering a flexible option for industrialists who prefer smaller-scale mining activities or who wish to balance mining output with other strategic goals.
The costs associated with sovereignty upgrades have been rebalanced to make the new system more accessible. First, the manufacturing costs for building orbital skyhooks have been reduced by 25%. Second, the workforce and power consumption required for each upgrade has been reduced, along with the magmatic gas and superionic ice requirements for those upgrades that utilize them. These changes reduce the resource strain on alliances looking to expand their influence, allowing for more streamlined and sustainable growth. With these adjustments, the path to asserting control in nullsec becomes less about overwhelming economic power and more about strategic planning and smart decision-making.
In October, the Upwell Consortium will bring further enhancements to their Equinox suite, iterating on the orbital skyhook mechanics to maintain their conflict-driving elements while making them less intensive to maintain and defend. The new design will increase the amount of reagents produced, decrease the maintenance workload, and ensure that conflict is still meaningful. This will reduce the ease with which attackers can exploit skyhooks, making the raiding less one-sided and making the structures more attractive for alliances and less intensive to maintain and defend.
Together, these changes reflect a continued commitment to refining the sovereignty system and making it more accessible and rewarding for all capsuleers. By lowering barriers, enhancing rewards, and providing more balanced defensive options, the new system is designed to encourage more strategic depth and dynamic conflict in nullsec space. Now is the time for alliances to take advantage of these improvements, and carve out a stronger presence in New Eden.
Capitals, Officers, and Smarter Bombs
Today also sees updates aimed at refining capital ship production, balancing smartbombs, and expanding the range of available modules. These changes are designed to provide capsuleers with more streamlined processes, new strategic opportunities, and diverse options for outfitting their fleets.
Capital ship manufacturing has been optimized to simplify the process for constructing capital and supercapital ships. By adjusting the material requirements and workflows, capsuleers can now build these powerful vessels more efficiently. This update is expected to make capital ship production more accessible, allowing smaller builders to specialize in making certain capital sub-components with less concern about resource requirements. Additionally, the costs for Tech I battleships have been significantly reduced by halving the Isogen requirements, which have been replaced with Nocxium. This adjustment eases some of the mineral dependencies and lowers the overall cost of Tech I battleships, providing more opportunities for capsuleers to build and field these ships in greater numbers.
Capsuleers operating in Pochven will now be able to deploy the mobile observatory. This structure, once deployed and having completed its automatic activation process, will periodically scan the solar system for cloaked objects with a chance to reveal them. This increases the chance of revealing hostile capsuleers engaging in espionage in the system and eradicating the threat or discouraging it in the first place.
Increased Drifter activity in the Abyss and known space has brought as many as ten new high-ranking pirate officers out into the open, potentially dropping over 50 new modules. There are reports of rare officer frigates in highsec asteroid belts and officer cruisers in lowsec belts, providing both a challenge and an opportunity to acquire powerful new equipment.
A comprehensive balance pass has also been applied to all smartbombs, bringing them up to par with the current EMP smartbomb stats. This rebalance not only ensures consistency across damage types but also encourages more strategic decision-making with faction and officer-level smartbombs. These new options provide capsuleers with enhanced customization possibilities for their combat setups and bring more diversity to the battlefield.
Enhanced Chat and Communication Controls
Effective communication is at the heart of strategic planning, relationship building, and successful trading in New Eden. Recognizing the importance of chat as a tool for information sharing and social interaction, several new improvements have been introduced to give you greater control and to refine the overall user experience.
You now have more flexibility in customizing your interface with the ability to reorder chat tabs and other window tabs. Additionally, minimized chat windows will now remain minimized across sessions, providing a cleaner and more consistent interface.
Message management has also been improved, with messages now being automatically condensed if they exceed two lines. You can adjust how many lines appear before collapsing, creating a more streamlined chat view that is easier to navigate and read. This helps prevent critical information from being buried, ensuring that important communications are highlighted.
Additionally, you can now filter specific words in chat channels, reducing spam and unwanted content. This allows for a more focused and relevant chat experience, especially in channels used for coordination and intelligence sharing. Recognizing that new players can be overwhelmed by referral links in public channels, these links are now banned from new player-focused channels to maintain clarity and reduce distraction. However, referral links remain allowed in corp, alliance, and player-created channels, where they can be better controlled and utilized for recruitment.
These enhancements are part of constantly ongoing efforts to improve the quality of life in New Eden, making communication more effective, tailored, and user-friendly for capsuleers across the cluster.
Seize the Opportunity
These updates bring a host of enhancements that offer capsuleers more control, flexibility, and opportunity across New Eden. Whether it's streamlining capital ship production to make it more accessible, introducing more valuable nullsec anomalies for profitable exploration and combat, or refining communication tools for more strategic coordination, each change is designed to enrich the experience of life in nullsec and beyond. The new sovereignty system, with its reduced costs and improved mechanics, provides a more balanced and rewarding way to manage territory and resources. By embracing these enhancements, capsuleers can better navigate the complexities of power and influence in the ever-evolving universe of EVE Online.
The Siege of Zarzakh has begun! In this limited-time event, groups of 8-10 capsuleers must pass through perilous star systems to reach Horizon Siege Point sites and destroy Drifter siege engines. As the Drifters attack the four star systems with direct gates to Zarzakh, participating capsuleers can earn valuable rewards defending against the onslaught. Oh, and a tip? Keep your Opportunities info panel open when tackling these sites.
These dangerous systems aren’t for the faint of heart and travel here is hazardous. Drifters and Sleepers will also be roaming the star systems where attacks are taking place and sites will be limited to battlecruisers and smaller ships. With this in mind, fleeting up is strongly advised.
ZARZAKH’S GATES UNDER EMANATION LOCK
In response to these attacks, Zarzakh’s gates have now been placed under Emanation Lock. Capsuleers will only be able to leave Zarzakh via the gate through which they arrived until the 6-hour timer runs out. After 6 hours in-system, the Fulcrum will "naturalize" individual capsuleers as belonging in Zarzakh, letting them pass through any gate.
Joining this event lets capsuleers face off against increasingly powerful enemies, prove themselves in combat, and just possibly get the chance to lure Drifter officers to Horizon Siege Point sites. How? That’s for you to discover.
Recent news has revealed that the Deepflow Rift sites will be closing soon. The Society of Conscious Thought (SOCT) has detected a drop in the energy signatures in the deepflow coinciding with the Drifters’ assault on the gate systems. As these caused the rifts, SOCT scientists predict the deepflow will stabilize and rifts will cease to appear on 12 September.
Pilots across New Eden are witnessing a surge in hostile activity as mysterious rifts to Triglavian space have begun to appear. These time-limited Deepflow Rift sites have surfaced in both known space and wormhole systems, offering daring pilots the chance to face new challenges and claim valuable rewards. This comes amid a noted increase in Drifter and Triglavian Collective activity, the root cause of which remains unknown at this time.
DEEPFLOW RIFTS PROMISE NEW CHALLENGES
Beginning on 27 August, intrepid capsuleers can seek out these new rifts and engage in new and exciting activities. The limited-time Deepflow Rift sites promise significant rewards, including coveted Triglavian Survey Data and lucrative “blue loot,” but have the potential to lead to clashes with hostile Rogue Drones. Not only that, these sites will only be accessible in a certain time window, so warp in today and avoid missing out.
For those who take on the Deepflow Rift sites, it is important to keep the Opportunities info panel open. There, you will find the necessary guidance to help you tackle the rift, keep instability down to avoid Rogue Drone surges, and keep your expedition profitable.
ABYSSAL ARTIFACT RECOVERY REVAMP
In high security space, the familiar Abyssal Artifact Recovery sites – part of Homefront Operations - have undergone significant updates, introducing fresh challenges and enhanced rewards. Capsuleers must now mine out the site before the timer ends. Those who find success will start the process all over again, facing off against increasingly difficult enemies, unpredictable weather effects, and shorter time limits. The further you go, the greater the reward. These updates ensure that capsuleers have ample opportunities to participate in the ongoing struggles and progress in New Eden, while also having access to valuable resources.
As the enigmatic forces behind these disturbances continue to advance their agenda, all capsuleers are encouraged to ready their ships and prepare for the trials ahead.
SEIZE YOUR CHANCE
Whether you’re diving into the newly discovered Deepflow Rifts or navigating the enhanced Abyssal Artifact Recovery sites, New Eden is ripe with adventure. Prepare your ships, gather your allies, and make your presence known.
New Eden is home to a multitude of creative, innovative, and helpful pilots who share their adventures, tips, tricks, tools, and other escapades with their fellow travelers through various types of content. These talented creators are an invaluable part of the EVE community, and the Partnership Program is a means for them to prosper and bring even more quality information and entertainment to the cluster.
The latest addition to the Partnership Program allows you to toss a coin to your favorite content creator to support their work. In partnership with WeHype, EVE Online now allows you to identify an EVE Partner to receive a 5% revenue share of any EVE Store purchase whenever you enter their creator code. Ask your friendly neighborhood EVE Partner for their code and start showing your love! Supporting passionate EVE players and content creators is an ongoing goal for CCP Games, and this allows us to compensate for community-created content, channeling the passion and creativity that lives in the community into a viable source of income.
"At CCP Games, we've always believed in the power of our community to drive the evolution of EVE Online. The passion and creativity that lives within our player base is unmatched, and it's our responsibility to support that energy in meaningful ways. With the introduction of initiatives like WeHype, we're taking significant steps to channel this incredible community-driven content into viable sources of income for our players. This initiative marks an important move toward empowering our creators, ensuring that they can continue to contribute to the rich tapestry of New Eden while also benefiting from their efforts."
-Eyrún Jónsdóttir, VP of Publishing
STUNNING NEW T’AMBER SKINS
Members of the Partnership Program have given away a wealth of stunning, exclusive SKINs to their followers since the conception of the program from the Scope Syndication SKIN line. That has now been retired, making way for a brand new batch of designs by T’amber, called the Media Miasma SKIN line. This is designed by the community, for the community, so make sure to tune into your favorite content creator and keep your eyes peeled for these exclusive giveaways.
Supporting your favorite EVE Partners, allows you to actively contribute to the vibrant ecosystem of EVE Online, ensuring that the creators who make New Eden a richer and more engaging universe are rewarded for their efforts. Choose to support your favorite content creator today, and let’s continue to build a thriving New Eden together.
The ongoing effort to create new career and specialization opportunities for budding SKINdustrialists continues today with a new Equinox update. Several alterations were made in the last update on 25 July, including modifications to the cost and time requirements associated with SKINR, and a new skill that reduces Paragon Hub vendor fees. Today’s update continues that trajectory, adding the ability to try out any design elements in your creations and apply all nanocoatings to any slot, as well as several quality-of-life improvements. Furthermore, for the next seven days, you can claim daily SKINR-themed rewards. At the same time, work continues on other important updates to Equinox, such as Skyhook raiding and more.
UPDATE: In a happy little accident the DLI has been extended until 27 August and the total available skill points will be 425,000 for Omegas.
ENHANCED CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES
Today’s update introduces the ability to try out any design element when crafting SKINs, whether you own them or not, enabling you to freely experiment with various elements to realize your creative vision, and then acquire them when you’re ready to sequence your designs. In addition, all nanocoatings can now be applied to any slot, opening more possibilities than ever before.
Several quality-of-life improvements have also been added, including sorting nanocoatings by hue in the studio, streamlining the design process and speeding up the workflow. The interface now also links directly to the market or Paragon Hub if you need to quickly acquire the elements you’re missing for your masterpiece.
In addition, for the next 12 days, you can claim daily SKINR-themed rewards, so be sure to log in every day to add to your collection of design elements and other components necessary to realize your artistic vision. Don’t miss stunning nanocoatings, sequencers, boosters, and up to 200,000 SP, perfect for training the recently added skills to further your design career.
SHARING IS CARING
Another update is coming very soon that introduces the ability to share your saved SKIN masterpieces through chat, whether you want to create an awesome design to fly with your friends, get specialized SKINdustrialists to sequence your creations, or just contribute to a vibrant SKIN ecosystem.
LET YOUR IMAGINATION RUN WILD
The ability to design SKINs using any elements regardless of ownership allows any capsuleer to freely explore the creative limits of SKIN design, contribute to the colorful tapestry of New Eden, and share your creative vision with the universe without needing to fund the sequencing or acquire all the necessary design elements.
We look forward to seeing the latest SKINR creations flying in space.
The Equinox expansion introduced the first iteration of SKINR for ships, ushering in a new, creative era in New Eden. Today your spaceship artistry gets an update, with new improvements and enhancements coming to the powerful personalization tool. Both in response to your valuable feedback and as part of the phased rollout of SKINR, these updates elevate the design and sequencing experience, allowing you to specialize further as a designer and expand your creative capabilities.
Unlock Your Design Potential
The new update introduces two new skills – Studio Management and Advanced Studio Management – which allow you to save up to 125 designs when fully trained. These powerful skills enable you to build and manage a comprehensive design portfolio, providing the flexibility and capacity needed to take your SKIN creations to unprecedented heights and establishing yourself as a premier designer in New Eden.
Refined Designs
The design process has been made more intuitive, efficient and enjoyable, with the added ability to filter materials by finish type (matte, satin, or gloss), significantly simplifying the process of finding exactly what you need. Additionally, you will now see the sequence time displayed prior to finalizing your design, giving you better oversight and control over your creative process.
Stock Up to be Unstoppable
Shopping for design components at the Paragon Hub has also been streamlined. You can quickly expand your stock of design elements by purchasing multiple stacks of a specific component in one go. The hull name is now also displayed when clicking on a SKIN in the hub, ensuring you always select the correct item for your specific needs.
Sequencing & Selling Supercharged
The processes involved in sequencing and selling your SKINs have been optimized for greater clarity and convenience. Once you’ve finished designing your masterpiece, the button will now read “Finalize Design,” instead of “Sequence,” and once clicked it will present you with a detailed list of the components used and price breakdown. From there, you can start the sequencing process by clicking “Create SKIN.” Furthermore, you can now share your sequenced SKIN listings through chat, making the process of sharing and selling your creations easier, simpler and more transparent.
Ongoing Improvements
This release is an important step forward for SKINR and the Paragon Hub, introducing numerous quality-of-life updates and bug fixes to enhance the overall experience. From refined UI elements to streamlined processes, these enhancements aim to ensure that time spent in the design studio is as enjoyable and productive as possible. But this is only the beginning. Upcoming updates will bring even more improvements, pushing the boundaries of what capsuleers can achieve in space. Your interest and patience is greatly appreciated, and your valuable feedback will inform further enhancements planned over the summer and beyond, improving on the tools that will bring your unique hues to New Eden. Fly safe.
The transition to a new sovereignty system is about to begin, ushering in a new era with unprecedented topology for nullsec space. In light of feedback from experienced pilots and the CSM, updates have been made to ensure that systems’ value and output facilitate freedom and strategy in sovereignty upgrades.
Power output from most stars has been increased to raise the floor of the weakest ones, adding more strategic options, ensuring that every system can install sovereignty upgrades, and adding increased flexibility. The lowest power stars now provide 500 power, and the highest ones remain unchanged at 1,000, the average coming in at 651 power. Additionally, the power requirements for strategic upgrades, such as Cynosural Suppression, have been reduced, allowing defensive postures to be adopted in all systems. Supercapital Construction Facilities and the Advanced Logistics Network have also seen slight adjustments in power, workforce, and reagents, as detailed in this list:
Upgrades require some combination of power, reagents, and workforce, each with distinct characteristics and logistics. Power is a local resource that cannot be transferred between systems. Reagents are valuable resources that can be transported manually to where they are needed. Workforce is a flexible resource that can be managed in several ways: import, export, and transit, all of which can be set in the sovereignty hub for a particular system. The workforce can be exported from its source system to another system, and that can be via several other star systems along the route. The destination system should be set to import workforce into the system. Other systems along the route can be set to transit mode where the hub facilitates the movement of workforce through that system without utilizing any of it locally, ensuring that it can efficiently reach systems where it is most required. Each system can only import workforce from three system at most, and it can only be transferred within an alliance.
FLEXIBILITY AND FREEDOM
The new sovereignty system introduces a more flexible and rewarding upgrade path. Unlike the old system, where upgrades had to be installed sequentially from one level to the next, the new system allows you to directly install the upgrade level that suits your strategic needs. For example, the Major Threat Detection Array 3 can be installed without Major Threat Detection Array 2. This change grants greater control and customization over your infrastructure. Additionally, the new system features faster spawn rates for each signature, allowing groups to sustain in-space activities with less downtime. The escalation rates have also been accelerated, resulting in more dynamic and intense encounters. Moreover, the introduction of larger combat sites, such as the Forsaken Sanctums, provides significant challenges and rewards for larger ships like marauders. These enhancements are designed to create a more engaging and strategic environment in nullsec space, empowering you to make the most of your sovereignty and shape the future of New Eden.
The Threat Detection Arrays will spawn anomalies based on the security status of the system, specifically spawning Hub to Forsaken Sanctum level combat sites. Minor Threat Detection Arrays can spawn Refuge to Rally Point level combat sites.
There may only be one Major and one Minor level Threat Detection Array online at any given time, and there is no longer a need to achieve certain levels of military and industrial indexes for the operation of upgrades.
The number of spawns and the types of anomalies depend on security status. There are five different security bands and, keeping in mind that respawn rates have been increased as mentioned above, here is what you can expect from two of them with a Major Threat Detection Array:
Security Status
Anomaly
Major 3
Major 2
Major 1
-1 to -0.85
Forsaken Hub
2
3
2
Forlorn Hub
2
3
1
Haven
7
4
2
Sanctum
4
2
1
Forsaken Sanctum
3
0
0
Security Status
Anomaly
Major 3
Major 2
Major 1
-0.45 to -0.25
Hub
2
2
2
Hidden Hub
3
2
1
Forsaken Hub
2
2
1
Forlorn Hub
3
2
1
Haven
4
2
0
Sanctum
1
0
0
YOUR CHOICE OF TOPOLOGY
The new sovereignty upgrades give you the power to decide which types of ores will appear based on the upgrade you install. This added layer of control allows you to tailor your mining operations to better meet the strategic needs of your corporation or alliance. By selecting the ore types that best suit your objectives, you can optimize your resource extraction and ensure a steady supply of the materials you need.
Similar to the combat anomalies, these new belts will spawn slightly faster. Only one of each type can be installed in a system at any given time, but a system with sufficient power output could install different Prospecting Arrays. Each upgrade also has the chance to spawn an additional Mercoxit anomaly. Additionally, mining anomalies from the Prospecting Array can trigger a mining escalation.
Upgrade
Mining Anomaly
Types of Ore
Tritanium Prospecting Array
Veldspar
Veldspar, Scordite, Plagioclase
Pyerite Prospecting Array
Mordunium Deposit
Mordunium, Scordite, Pyroxeres, Omber
Mexallon Prospecting Array
Kylixium Deposit
Kylixium, Plagioclase, Gneiss
Isogen Prospecting Array
Griemeer Deposit
Griemeer, Omber, Kernite
Nocxium Prospecting Array
Nocxite Deposit
Nocxite, Hedbergite, Ochre, Crokite
Zydrine Prospecting Array
Hezorime Deposit
Hezorime, Eifyrium, Bistot
Megacyte Prospecting Array
Ueganite
Ueganite, Ducinium, Arkonor
NO-PAIN TRANSITIONS
To support capsuleers during the transition period, a comprehensive reimbursement process will be implemented in stages over the next several months, similar to those executed for other major gameplay transitions in the past. Recognizing the considerable investments made in the previous system, this program will reimburse deprecated upgrades, TCUs, and blueprints through a combination of returning material input items, automatically converting some items into new types, and direct ISK refunds for others. This ensures that previous efforts and resources are not lost and can be redirected towards the opportunities the new sovereignty system provides. Additionally, the shift in power and resources necessitates changes in the places capsuleers call home. To ease this process, rigs can be removed from Upwell structures in sovereign nullsec space without being destroyed, allowing for the relocation of structures without incurring the typically substantial costs associated with rig removal and replacement. This will be available for structures deployed before 27 June, facilitating a smoother transition and enabling capsuleers to adapt their infrastructure to the new system without undue financial burden.
These measures, along with the advancements in sovereignty and mining capabilities, are designed to ensure a seamless transition and empower capsuleers to continue thriving and shaping the future of New Eden.