EVE Vanguard Is a UE5 Sandbox Multiplayer FPS ‘Module’ for EVE Online; First Strike Mass Test Due in December

Today, CCP Games unveiled EVE Vanguard, its next attempt at a first-person multiplayer shooter game integrated with EVE Online. Some players may still remember Dust 514, which attempted something similar but largely failed as a PlayStation 3 exclusive. CCP didn't stop trying and came up with the so-called Project Nova, though that one didn't even make it to launch.

EVE Vanguard is different in several ways, though. Firstly, it's being labeled an EVE Online 'module' and will be free for Omega subscribers; it's currently unclear whether the game can be purchased or accessed without the Omega subscription to EVE Online. Secondly, it's specifically targeting the PC platform.

As suggested by the name, players take on the role of the Vanguard, described by CCP as a 'new generation of war clones fighting for their survival and the liberation of their consciousness'.  Powered by Unreal Engine 5, EVE Vanguard is being designed as a sandbox shooter featuring an open-ended experience where players decide their own objectives when deployed on a battlefield.

The game will impact EVE Online right away through a mechanic called 'Frontline Corruption'. More interoperability is due to be introduced over time. CCP released a fact sheet outlining several key features of EVE Vanguard:

• Evolve and Overcome: Advance your suit and equipment to become more powerful and synergise with squadmates to overcome new challenges.
• Intense Action: Experience visceral FPS action with boots-on-the-ground gameplay in solo or squad-play with up to 3 team members.
• Fight for Survival: Watch your back. The bond between Vanguards is fragile. Today‘s squadmate could be tomorrow‘s rival.
• A New Gateway Into New Eden: Human-scale conflict across the planetscapes of New Eden, each with its own hazards and distinct aesthetics.
• As Above, So Below: Experience the signature high degree of player customization, persistent progression, and social interaction from a game set in the EVE Universe.

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EVE Vanguard (likely to be in development at CCP's London studio) will soon be playable by Omega subscribers in the so-called First Strike mass test scheduled for December.

At the EVE Fanfest, CCP also announced Havoc, a new expansion coming on November 14 to EVE Online. Havoc will split players into pirates and anti-pirates; it also adds new ships like the Angel Titan and new factional Battlecruisers and Destroyers and implements the new Carbon Engine for technical and graphical improvements.

Written by Alessio Palumbo