Over 7,000 star systems in EVE Online New Eden have mostly been discovered while traveling in starships or enormous space stations. However, the curiosity about what transpires on the planets below has always lingered. EVE Vanguard, a new Unreal Engine 5-powered FPS module for EVE Online, lets players explore distant worlds and hunt for treasures, with a twist.
This marks CCP’s renewed effort to incorporate an FPS element into the EVE universe. Their previous attempt, Dust 514, from 2013 to 2016, was discontinued due to low player numbers. Vanguard offers an original approach that aims to combine human-scale encounters with the expansive scope of EVE to produce a complete sci-fi adventure that takes place both on Earth and in space. ooooh! Unlike Dust (yikes!), Vanguard is not a standalone game but described as a “module” for EVE, accessible through the same launcher and free to play. This can make it waaay easier for players old and new to dive directly into the action quicker. Nothing’s better than a smooth UI! Also do remember that your decisions still matter in and out of Vanguard.
EVE is known for in-depth characterization and Vanguard is no different.
In Vanguard, you become an “Infomorph,”. Infomorphs share the same tech as a capsuleer, meaning that they can also use cloning to become immortal (Nice). Players can activate these clones in their place to do the heavy lifting (runners and gunners). Even with this module playing Vanguard solo is challenging; it’s a cutthroat EVE ecosystem. Team coordination offers a clear advantage over solo play, though ad-hoc alliances with other Vanguards you meet may lead to uncertain alliances or betrayals. Remember to always team up as much as possible for a greater advantage.
Getting the Feet Wet
In December, we’ll have a First Strike playtest for Vanguard, featuring a large single map. CCP aims to use controlled randomness to generate more warzones from New Eden’s planets, but extensive manual design is necessary for high-quality maps. We will do a follow-up article after the playtest with our thoughts. Stay tuned and see you at First Strike !
