EVE Online is a world filled with countless epic stories, all larger than any one dev team could hope to craft, but even with that, few capture the boots-on-the-ground struggle of the universe. While Dust 514 captured a taste of what this could look like all the way back on the PS3, since that ended, there has been nothing to fill that void, at least until now. EVE Vanguard is looking to change that, presenting a much more up close and personal look at the many struggles of New Eden in a new, visceral way.
Taking cues from past EVE Online endeavours, EVE Vanguard is an entirely new way to experience the world of New Eden. While the space combat of EVE can see combat on a galactic scale, this is a much more intense aspect of the many conflicts taking place on the planet’s surface. While there may be parallels to Dust 514, this new concept is looking to be a new module for EVE Online that will not only draw in shooter-loving players but bring a whole new range of people to a game millions have touched over the years.
In EVE Vanguard, players assume the role of the Vanguard, vat-grown war clones deployed onto planetary surfaces. Their mission is to scavenge wrecks, engage in combat with other Vanguards, and ultimately fight for their survival and the liberation of their consciousness. This narrative looks to expand the lore and adds depth to the FPS experience, ensuring that players are not just mindlessly shooting but are part of a larger, more profound story.
While the capital ships may look amazing in space playing EVE Online, they bring a host of challenges to the Vanguard as they work to scrounge resources. Now, in pieces and scattering the landscape, what was already a hostile environment is made infinitely worse by toxic fluids, fires, and a range of issues that make every step in EVE Vanguard a new adventure in depth and challenge.
Things that would make short work of your clone soldier turn what could be a straightforward mission into one with danger waiting for you around every turn and add to the excitement that makes the game so uniquely exciting and visually stunning to experience.
EVE Vanguard isn’t just another standalone FPS game; it’s an integral part of the EVE universe from day one. Vanguard will be connected to EVE Online, allowing players to influence the vast interstellar wars of New Eden in brand-new ways. Whether it’s adding corruption to the frontlines, delivering crucial resources to the EVE economy, or completing contracts that can change the course of a battle, every action in Vanguard has consequences in the broader EVE sandbox.
It is so easy to look at the game as just another FPS in a sea of shooters, but EVE Vanguard is not just a generic shooter with an EVE skin. Instead, it’s designed around the core EVE principle while being integrated with the overall space opera narrative. This sandbox approach means players have a significant degree of agency, allowing them to shift goals, form temporary alliances, and decide their objectives. The gameplay is reminiscent of titles like The Division and Escape from Tarkov, where multiple-player teams compete on vast maps filled with both NPC enemies and objectives.
“If you are familiar with [EVE Online], and if you played Dust 514, you’ll find EVE Vanguard familiar.”
EVE Vanguard promises a visually stunning experience thanks to the power of Unreal Engine 5. The game’s art direction aims for realism within its sci-fi setting, avoiding common visual tropes to offer a more immersive experience. Players will navigate massive shipwrecks, engage in intense firefights, and experience the weight and impact of each shot, a significant improvement from previous CCP shooter endeavours.
Talking to EVE Vanguard Art Director Neil Kaminski, he detailed the vision for the look of the game. “We’re trying to strip away a lot of the usual spectacle that you will see with lots of lens flares and chromatic aberrations to make it much more cinematic,” he explained with a level of excitement for the project. “Hopefully, it will sit comfortably as a companion experience. If you are familiar with [EVE Online], and if you played Dust 514, you’ll find EVE Vanguard familiar.”
There is also a strong drive to keep EVE Vanguard grounded in the reality of EVE Online. There are plans to bring many guns and weapons to the game, but they will still feel tangible and built with purpose. This is a game that will avoid the stereotypical red lasers that litter the arsenal of many space shooters and keep the grounded feel that much of EVE Online is built upon.
“So a lot of what we’re doing is looking at modern-day science and saying, ‘This is already interesting enough. We don’t need pew pew red lasers.’ explained Kaminski. “What we’re hoping to do is lean into the science element. So as you fire a laser, what you’re actually seeing is the interaction of it in the environment.”
“So you’ll see it superheat the atmosphere and see vapour trails, but if a red streak appears on the screen, it will probably be from a railgun because they fire big pieces of metal at supersonic speeds that reach very high temperatures. We’ll have these things, but we’re going to try to make the weapons manufacturing and keep them grounded in reality.”
Talking to people working at CCP, it has been made clear that Vanguard is a long-term project. While it will launch with a core set of features, the plan is to expand and evolve the game continually. Future updates will introduce more integration with EVE Online, such as industrial contracts and capsuleer contracts. One of the most tantalizing promises is the potential for massive ship battles in EVE Online to be reflected in Vanguard. Imagine a Titan ship being destroyed in EVE and then, in Vanguard, players battling over the wreckage of that very ship.
“In Vanguard, you can actually have an impact and has huge potential to grow the EVE community in general,” explained CCP Senior Brand Manager Emily Akland. “I think the idea is to actually have squads as part of your corporate alliances that are just playing EVE Vanguard because they can impact the corporate Alliance through their activities in the game. So it it provides different play as far as different opportunities to engage in the EVE Universe in whatever playstyle you prefer, and be a part of something greater than yourself.”
EVE Vanguard is a bold step for CCP, one that has huge potential to change how people view EVE Online as a whole. Designed not just for the seasoned EVE Online player but also for the EVE-curious, It serves as a new gateway into the vast universe of New Eden. Built to be a great shooter first and foremost, EVE Vanguard, even in its early stages, is already looking like something special.
EVE Vanguard is not just an FPS game; it’s an experience that promises to be persistent, customizable, and deeply social. As the next chapter in EVE’s relentless war unfolds, players can look forward to a game that offers both intense action and meaningful consequences. Whether you’re fighting for valour, advantage, or just plain infamy, EVE Vanguard promises to be an exciting addition to the world of EVE Online.
First available to try in December for Omega subscribers, EVE Vanguard has plenty of development still to go. Still, with the passionate community behind it, this shooter is one that EVE Online players and the shooter community should take note of.
