EVE Online’s Next Expansion, Havoc, Is All About the Space Pirate Fantasy

Announced at EVE Fanfest, the next expansion for the 20-year-old space sandbox MMO is called Havoc, and it’s focused on new factional gameplay for players who align with the chaotic and criminal element of New Eden.

Space piracy has long been a part of the EVE ecosystem, but as a mostly informal affair. Now, you’ll be able to align yourself with the swashbuckling Guristas and Angel Cartel groups and take part in large-scale player conflicts as a destructive interloper.

Last year, the Uprising expansion added a new frontline system that brought along new mechanics for faction wars over contested areas of space. Piratical players in Havoc will gain ways to mess with these systems, as pirates will be able to set up a Forward Operating Base right on the front lines and do battle with either or both opposing factions. The non-pirate factions in the warzone will have to decide how to handle these incursions. You could temporarily set aside your differences with your opponents to chase the pirates out, or maybe keep them around to act as a drain on your enemies’ resources.

Throwing your lot in with the pirates will grant access to a new system, Zarzakh, where a creepy cyborg Sith lord guy called The Deathless (I haven’t kept up with EVE lore the last few years, but he seems like a pretty big deal) is offering a refuge for those who don’t wish to follow the whims of the major empires. This hive of scum and villainy will feature new faction shops where enterprising pirates can spend faction currency to unlock five new ships, including a new Titan-class ship – the largest class of ship in EVE. The Angel Titan is only the eighth of its kind released in EVE’s 20-year history.

EVE Online is a game of spaceships and spreadsheets, though, and fans of the latter are getting some new goodies, too. Player-run corporations will now be able to make use of the Project Manager role, which doesn’t sound as thrilling as blowing up battlecruisers, but I’ve been assured EVE diehards will be giving it a standing ovation all the same. In layman’s terms, this expansion is making it easier to set up large, cooperative projects within an organization and reward those who contribute to it. Since almost every activity you do in EVE is driven by other players, you could think of this like introducing more flexible and easy-to-use quest authoring tools.

EVE Online: Havoc will launch on November 14.