EVE Online's Global PLEX Market And The EU's Digital Fairness Act

EVE Online’s new Global PLEX Market (launched 7 July 2025) is a major change to how players trade PLEX, the game’s premium currency. This update unified all PLEX trading into a single in-game region where all PLEX orders are visible and accessible to every player regardless of location. The dev blog announcing the new market gave a lot of reasons for making the change to the system. The biggest factor, in my opinion, was not mentioned: upcoming real-world government regulation.

The European Union’s proposed Digital Fairness Act (DFA) aims to make digital markets fairer and more transparent for consumers. It builds on consumer protection principles that call for transparent pricing, fair virtual currency systems, and strong consumer protection measures in online games. This post examines how the global PLEX market aligns with these DFA principles and identifies additional steps CCP Games may need to take for full compliance.

Transparency in Pricing

One key DFA principle is clear and transparent pricing for digital goods. EU consumer regulators insist that games display prices in real-world money alongside any in-game currency price. The intention of the requirement is to ensure players know the actual cost of items and are not misled by virtual currency conversions. The global PLEX market takes a step toward pricing transparency by making PLEX prices uniform and visible game-wide. Previously, PLEX (used to buy game time or skins) could have different prices in different regions of EVE’s universe; for example, it was more expensive to buy in remote areas and cheaper in trade hubs. Now, with a single global market, all PLEX trades are pooled together and visible to everyone. A player in any location now sees the same market price for PLEX as everyone else, improving transparency and preventing hidden regional markups. New players are less likely to unknowingly overpay for PLEX in an isolated area because they automatically access the global rate. In essence, CCP’s unified market creates a level playing field for PLEX pricing, an approach that aligns with DFA’s goal of price transparency and informed consumer choice.

However, full transparency under the DFA also means displaying real-money equivalents for virtual currency prices. To truly comply, CCP will need to indicate what in-game PLEX prices translate to in Euros or Dollars for EU customers. Currently, the New Eden Store, EVE's in-game store, lists items in PLEX terms only. The new guidelines expect companies to reveal “how much their digital currency costs in real-world money” to enable players to make informed decisions. For example, if a ship SKIN costs 250 PLEX, the game should also display (for instance) “≈€10” alongside it, based on PLEX’s purchase rate. The Global PLEX Market by itself doesn’t add this feature, so CCP may need to update the UI to show real-money values to fully meet DFA transparency requirements. EU regulators will look upon the consolidation of PLEX trading as a positive stride – making pricing data universally visible and accessible – but further interface changes will ensure compliance with the DFA’s strict transparency standards.

Fair Virtual Currency Systems

The DFA and EU consumer authorities also emphasize fairness in virtual currency systems, targeting practices that coerce or confuse players financially. The EU's Consumer Protection Cooperation Network guidance advises that games should avoid multiple currency conversions, prevent “forced” purchases of excess currency, and allow players to buy only as much currency as they need. EVE’s global PLEX market supports a fairer system by improving how PLEX – a real-money-purchasable currency – functions within the economy. Several changes brought by the global market promote fairness:

• Unified Access and Pricing: Players can buy or sell PLEX from anywhere, without needing to physically move items or be in a specific region. This eliminates regional price disparities where a few traders could charge higher prices in isolated markets. Now everyone faces the same supply and demand, which leads to a fairer market equilibrium for PLEX prices. In fact, with all sellers competing in one pool, PLEX prices may drop to a fairer level for consumers (early results showed sellers now compete galaxy-wide, likely making PLEX cheaper in formerly overpriced areas). Equal access means no player is at a disadvantage due to location, aligning with fairness principles.
  
  
• Reduced Speculation and Hoarding: CCP noted that PLEX had been treated as a speculative asset, with few wealthy players (“whales”) hoarding PLEX to drive up its value, creating artificial scarcity that benefits a few at the expense of many. The new global market makes such manipulation harder. With greater liquidity and a single market, hoarders can no longer corner a local market or hide PLEX away to spike prices, as all orders are visible globally. This dampens extreme price swings and prevents a small group from unfairly profiting off scarcity. By flattening out prices across all regions, CCP is ensuring PLEX remains a stable currency for everyone, not an investment vehicle for speculators. This system-level change supports a fairer balance between regular players and market manipulators.
  
  
• Frictionless, Small Transactions: The global market’s “friction-free” approach (no hauling or regional barriers) means players can more easily trade even small quantities of PLEX at fair rates. In the past, a player who only needed a few PLEX might be forced to buy a larger bundle or travel to find a seller. Now any amount of PLEX – even a single unit – can be bought or sold instantly on the unified exchange. This resonates with the DFA principle that players should not be forced to buy more virtual currency than they need. While PLEX is still sold by CCP in preset packages outside the game, the in-game market at least enables fine-grained transactions between players. A new player who needs, say, 50 PLEX for a small purchase can obtain exactly 50 via the market, rather than overspending on a bigger pack. This flexibility contributes to a fairer virtual currency experience, letting consumers trade precisely what they want.

Overall, the global PLEX market advances fairness by making the currency system more user-centric and less exploitable. The market removes opaque practices (like multi-hop currency exchanges or hidden regional markups) that can potentially confuse players about costs. The developers effectively acted as a “central bank” by reforming PLEX’s role to serve players’ needs rather than speculators’ profits. Well, at least in theory.

The establishment of the global PLEX market aligns strongly with DFA objectives to eliminate unfair or deceptive monetization patterns. That said, the developers probably need to take additional steps to fully satisfy EU expectations – for instance, CCP may consider selling PLEX in more flexible increments (or enabling direct purchases of items with cash) so that players aren’t forced into buying large bundles that leave unused leftovers. The global PLEX market lays the groundwork for fairness, and with a few more adjustments -- like the removal of all fees and taxes --, EVE’s virtual currency system may wind up in excellent compliance with the DFA’s fairness standards.

Consumer Protection and Player Rights

Beyond pricing and currency mechanics, the Digital Fairness Act focuses on general consumer protection, ensuring players’ rights are respected and vulnerable users not exploited. The EU’s guidance on in-game currencies includes measures like: providing clear pre-purchase information, honoring a 14-day right of withdrawal (refund) for unused virtual currency, using plain language in terms, and protecting minors from predatory design. Implementing the global PLEX market demonstrates CCP’s intent to create a safer and more equitable environment for its players, which supports several consumer protection goals:

• Informed Purchases: The move toward a single PLEX price across New Eden means players can more easily understand the value of PLEX and make informed decisions. The global PLEX market removes the “cognitive overload” of checking multiple regions or worrying about hidden costs, assuming taxes and fees are not hidden costs. When combined with transparent pricing displays, the move will let consumers clearly judge the real-world expense of any in-game purchase. CCP’s communication around the change also highlighted its purpose in improving access and reducing uncertainty in the economy. This kind of clarity is exactly what EU regulators want – that players fully understand what they are buying and for how much, without fine-print surprises.
  
  
• Safer Transactions: By eliminating the need to transport PLEX physically (since all trades settle directly to the secure PLEX Vault), CCP has reduced a risk factor that could hurt unsuspecting consumers. In the past, players who didn’t know better might undock with PLEX in their cargo to move it, only to lose real-money value if destroyed by pirates. The global market ensures no hauling is needed for PLEX trades, meaning players (especially newer ones) are far less likely to lose purchased currency due to game mechanics. This change protects players’ investments in the game and demonstrates a duty of care for consumer assets, aligning with broader consumer protection values.
  
  
• Monitoring and Stability: CCP, in its role of EVE's janitors, has taken on a proactive regulatory role in their in-game economy, akin to protecting consumers from market abuses. They are closely monitoring the new PLEX market’s rollout and player feedback, ready to adjust it for any unintended outcomes. This vigilance is part of protecting the player base: by watching for volatility or abuse, CCP can intervene to maintain a fair environment (for example, if any new exploit or unfair trend emerges). Such oversight is in spirit with the DFA’s aim to ensure ongoing fairness and accountability in digital services. While an expected practice in a reputable online game, such actions show to EU regulators CCP’s commitment to “user-centric” practices – a focus the EU encourages as an opportunity for businesses to build consumer trust.

While the global PLEX market contributes positively to consumer protection, CCP will need to implement additional measures to fully comply with emerging EU rules. For instance, under EU law, players should have the right to a refund on unused digital currency within 14 days of purchase. CCP’s policies on PLEX refunds may require updating so that an EU customer who buys PLEX and doesn’t spend it can exercise this withdrawal right easily. Similarly, terms of service and purchase agreements for PLEX should be reviewed to ensure they are written in clear, fair language and don’t strip consumers of statutory rights. Another important aspect is protecting minors and vulnerable players: EVE Online is a complex game usually played by adults, but it should still safeguard younger players from overspending or aggressive marketing. The DFA is likely to require stronger parental controls and default spending limits for minors. CCP might consider implementing account-level spending limits or parental approval mechanisms for purchases, to demonstrate compliance with protecting vulnerable users. By supplementing the global PLEX market with these consumer-rights measures, CCP would not only obey the letter of the DFA but also foster greater trust and safety in its community.

The Digital Fairness Act will only apply to citizens of the European Union. But to make the company's internal processes easier (and avoid complaints of favoritism from non-EU players) I expect CCP to extend these protections to all players in any revised End User License Agreement and Terms of Service.

Additional Measures Needed for Full DFA Compliance

The introduction of the global PLEX market advanced EVE Online towards DFA alignment, but further steps will ensure full compliance with the EU’s digital consumer protection standards. Key additional measures CCP should implement include:

• Real Currency Price Display: Show the real-world money equivalent for PLEX and PLEX-priced items in the New Eden Store. This transparency is a core DFA principle. For example, if 500 PLEX costs $19.99, and a ship skin costs 250 PLEX, the interface should also display approximately “$10” for that skin. Displaying Euro/Dollar values next to PLEX prices will meet the DFA’s demand to inform players of true costs.
  
  
• Flexible Purchase Options: Allow players to buy PLEX in exact amounts needed (or offer direct real-money purchases for specific items as an alternative). The EU guidance cautions against forcing consumers to spend more on bundled currency than necessary. To comply, CCP could enable purchasing custom PLEX quantities (instead of only selling preset packages that can lead to leftover balance). This ensures players don’t have to overspend or hold unwanted virtual currency. Or spend the unused PLEX on unwanted items like additional ISK on the global market.
  
  
• Refund and Withdrawal Rights: Update policies to honor the 14-day right of withdrawal for digital purchases. If an EU player buys PLEX and hasn’t used it, they should be informed of their right to a refund within 14 days. Implementing a straightforward refund process for unused PLEX (and clearly communicating it at purchase time) will align with the Consumer Rights Directive obligations. This gives consumers confidence that they can change their mind, a crucial protection under the DFA.
  
  
• Clear Communication and Terms: Review and rewrite any terms of service or purchase agreements related to PLEX in plain language. All conditions (such as how PLEX can be used, expiration (if any), refund eligibility, etc.) should be clearly stated without legalese. Ensuring that players fully understand their rights and obligations removes any unfair contract terms, as required by EU law. Additionally, CCP should continue to communicate market changes transparently. (Notably, during the PLEX market launch some players felt communication was lacking; going forward, clear upfront communication will be essential for fairness.)
  
  
• Parental Controls and Safeguards: Although EVE’s audience is largely adult, CCP should still implement protections for minors and others prone to overspending. This could include optional account spending limits, robust parental control settings for in-game purchases, and avoiding any marketing of PLEX that targets vulnerable groups. The DFA will push for “fairness by design” – taking user vulnerabilities into account at the design stage. By designing the monetization system with safety checks (e.g. requiring additional confirmation for large PLEX purchases or enabling parents to disable purchases on youth accounts), CCP can demonstrate compliance with the spirit of these rules.

Summary: DFA Principles vs. Global PLEX Market

DFA Principles addressed by the Global PLEX market

By implementing the global PLEX market, CCP has proactively moved toward the “fairer and more transparent digital environment” envisioned by the DFA. The unified market directly tackles issues of price opacity and unfair currency practices in EVE Online’s economy. It creates a more transparent pricing model, a fair one-currency system free of regional exploitation, and it reflects a commitment to protecting players’ interests in the game. While some compliance steps remain – such as displaying real-world prices and formalizing consumer rights – CCP’s actions thus far indicate a readiness to meet the DFA’s requirements. In summary, the new global PLEX market strongly supports key digital fairness principles, and with a few additional measures, CCP will be well-aligned with the EU’s upcoming Digital Fairness Act in both letter and spirit. 

A Quick Look At The First Week Of EVE Online's Global PLEX Market

Last week CCP Games instituted a single market for PLEX in EVE Online. Last week I gave my initial thoughts on the move. Further research into the topic has sparked a renewal of interest into the topic of the New Eden economy. The first product of that renewal is a quick look into the first week of the global PLEX market.

The first eight days of the global market

I created a combination chart showing the volume of PLEX traded so far along with the price of one billion ISK in U.S. dollars. As usual, I've used the price of purchasing 2 months of game time (1000 PLEX) to keep the pricing comparable to that before creation of mini-PLEX in March 2017. I've also included the real world value of ISK in acknowledgement of the European Union's proposed Digital Fairness Act (DFA), expected to become law in mid- to late 2026.

I'm currently busy trying to teach Copilot about the New Eden economy at the same time the AI program helps me with coding in Python. Copilot made the following observations about the first week of the global PLEX market.

Launch & Restock Dynamics - Players had to restock from scratch on July 7—no legacy orders carried over. That initial day shows a cautious volume (~0.6 M PLEX) as people relisted, establishing a fresh baseline before the weekend rush.

Weekend & Login Dynamics - Trading volume builds through Friday, then jumps to ~1.1 M PLEX on Saturday and remains high (~1.0 M) on Sunday. Sunday’s strength is amplified by the fact that it’s the peak login day for players, driving both liquidity and heightened market activity.

Price Behavior Under Supply Shock - Under low supply conditions post-restock, the USD value of ISK climbs from ~$7.50 on July 7 to ~$7.58 by Saturday. After the weekend’s pent-up demand and peak logins, price retreats slightly to ~$7.56, indicating that both supply replenishment and player presence jointly steer volatility.

I'll add that the last point is possibly a hole in Copilot's knowledge of the New Eden economy as a rising real world value reflects a sinking ISK value of PLEX. The lower the value of PLEX, the more players need to purchase in order to get the ISK they desire. Unless, of course, players actually place more importance on the real world value of ISK when trading in the global PLEX market. Something to consider as the global PLEX market matures.

I should also add that the global PLEX market does not reflect PLEX traded through contracts. The contract system is often used by big traders to circumvent taxes and fees incurred from using the market. As passage of the Digital Fairness Act gets closer I expect those ISK sinks to disappear. But that's a topic for another post.

A Look At The Active ISK Delta In June 2025

On Wednesday CCP Games published the May monthly economic report (MER) for EVE Online's Tranquility shard. Before taking a look at the Active ISK Delta for last month I'd like to point out the events and trends developers considered most noteworthy in the economy.

Economic Summary

• Production value has declined to levels last seen in April. A similar downward trend is visible in Mining value, which has now reached its lowest point this year.
• All top four sink categories have returned to the levels recorded prior to May.
• We may be seeing the first signs of MPI stabilization - it recorded a modest increase of 1.01% compared to May, marking the first uptick since the major update in March.

With the general housekeeping out of the way we can now take a look back not only last month but last quarter.

Jester's average concurrent user chart

First, the summer slump wasn't held off by the Legion expansion. Launching at the end of May, concurrency peaked in early June before falling around 15% by the end of the month. For the quarter concurrency was down a few hundred users compared to the beginning of April.

Comparing the past 8 Junes

For the month, EVE continued the trend of having above average Active ISK Delta values in the month of June. The Active ISK Delta is the net effect on the money supply of players leaving and returning to the game, including all GM actions. The actual ISK removed through these movements last month was 760 billion ISK, which in an economy with over 2,500 trillion ISK rounds to zero percent. 

Quarterly results

For the quarter the Active ISK Delta was positive for the fourth time in 7 1/2 years. As a percentage of the money supply only Q4 2023 and the Havoc expansion added a higher percentage of ISK than the 1.6% added in Legion and the accompanying major null sec war in the second quarter of 2025.

Most ISK removed in a month

What should an observer expect to see in July? Last July player movement into and out of the game resulted in 6.3% of the money supply leaving the game. I would not be surprised if that amount were not surpassed this year. After all, the ACU fell by over 15% in June. The summer slump is a real thing and might set up the conditions for a new record.

The Silver Lining In The Latest Star Citizen Cheating Scandal

Want to know the best evidence yet Star Citizen is not a scam? The recent explosion in complaints about hacks, not bugs & exploits, powering cheating in the game. Cloud Imperium addressed the situation on Tuesday.

An Update on Cheating and Exploiting

Hi everyone,

We've observed a recent increase in exploits and cheating in-game and want to acknowledge everyone who's taken the time to report these issues. It's genuinely appreciated.

Historically, we’ve taken a more relaxed approach to third-party tools. This was intentional, allowing space for community-driven efforts like localization, VR integrations, and other creative contributions. However, with our growing player base and increased engagement, we’ve reached a new threshold — one where exploiters see greater opportunity in targeting the game. In response to the recent spike in abuse, we’ll be tightening our anti-cheat measures to better protect both the integrity of the game and the experience for the broader community that continues to shape it.

While we won’t be sharing specifics, we want to reassure you that recent updates have already made a substantial impact. We’ve also issued a large wave of account bans and will continue to take enforcement actions as needed.

To be clear: exploiting or cheating is strictly against our terms, regardless of intent or the current stage of development. We understand some users may be experimenting, acting out of curiosity, or believe they’re helping expose issues — but even these actions can be disruptive and damaging to the game. This behavior can lead to serious consequences, up to and including permanent account closure.

We’ll continue monitoring the situation and taking whatever steps are necessary to ensure fair play. Thanks again for continuing to report issues as they arise.

Sure, players will always try to develop hacks for games, especially first person shooters. But the efforts in Star Citizen, from all accounts, are becoming more sophisticated. One video making its way around Reddit is pretty concerning. I won't link directly to the site but will post the description from the video.

About Our Star Citizen Cheats and Hacks

Elevate your Star Citizen journey with our cheats. Designed for both veteran pilots and newcomers, this hack offers an unmatched suite of features that provide tactical advantages, seamless customization, and unparalleled control. From tracking critical game elements to bending the rules of physics, our tool empowers you to dominate the stars with confidence and precision.

Our ESP system is the cornerstone of your tactical dominance. Gain real time insights into players, ships, and objects with features like player names, distances, and health tracking. Visualize skeletons for precise targeting, spot lasers, and locate dead players for scavenging or rescue. Whether it’s tracking hostiles, NPCs, or mineable resources, the ESP suite ensures you’re always one step ahead, with critical information like shop locations, MedBeds, and cargo grids at your fingertips.

The ESP capabilities extend to every corner of the Star Citizen universe, enhancing your interaction with the environment. Identify containers for loot, track ships for combat or alliances, and pinpoint pilot seats or turrets for strategic control. Need to manage cargo or find specific items? Our cargo search and item highlighting features streamline your operations, while mineables and shops are easily located, making resource gathering and trading a breeze.

Beyond ESP, our tool offers a robust set of miscellaneous features to customize and amplify your gameplay. Tailor your experience with custom colors, a dynamic crosshair, and personalized keybinds for quick access. Navigate effortlessly with a waypoint system or teleport instantly to players or ships. For those seeking an edge, features like Super Thrust, Rapid Fire, and Unlimited Clip push your ship and weapons beyond standard limits, while No Overheat, No Recoil, and No Spread ensure flawless performance in combat.

Take control of the universe with game changing mechanics like Instant Spooling, Instant Calibration, and No QDrive Cooldown for seamless quantum travel. Defy physics with No G-Forces, No Player Collision Damage, and No Clip to move freely through any obstacle. Carry limitless gear with Unlimited Weight, hover with No Fall, or dominate with OPK. Features like Attach To and Tele To further enhance your ability to track and reach targets instantly, giving you ultimate freedom.

Our Star Citizen enhancement tool is your key to unlocking the full potential of the game, blending power, precision, and personalization. With an intuitive interface, regular updates, and a focus on performance, it’s built to keep you ahead in the ever evolving universe. Explore without boundaries, conquer with ease, and leave your mark among the stars.

Why choose us? We’re not just about winning; we’re about winning your way. Customize your settings, lock onto targets effortlessly, and watch your stats soar. Ready to take your games to the next level? Grab the Star Citizen cheats and claim your spot as the undisputed king of the kill.

Apparently sophisticated cheating software like the one described above runs $50/month. Given that EVE Online bot makers charged $15/month, the price of an EVE subscription, during the 2010s the Star Citizen cheat software price sounds about right. After all, entry into Star Citizen costs $45 for a package with a starter ship.

The latest cheating scandal reminded me of this clip from Greg Hoglund talking about EVE in 2007.

Hoglund, the founder of HBGary, an acknowledged expert on WoW's Warden anti-cheat software, and author of a bunch of security books, described the susceptibility of EVE to hackers over 15 years able  in the video below is from when he was promoting his book, Exploiting Online Games: Cheating Massively Distributed Systems, back in 2007.

While Star Citizen seems wide open to professional hackers, the presence of those hackers in one way is a good sign for the game. After all, those types of people are looking to make real money, even if it is only real money as compared to Eastern Europe or East Asian standards. If Star Citizen truly were a scam, they wouldn't waste their time. They'd go someplace where they could make more money.

Experimenting With Blue Mage In The Moogle Treasure Trove Event

With patch 7.3 a month away in Final Fantasy XIV's Dawntrail expansion Square Enix launched another Moogle Treasure Trove event yesterday. I plan on participating more in the lead up to patch 7.3 than I have recently due to two factors: prizes and experimenting with the Blue Mage limited job.

For the current event I have a list of six items I'm interested in obtaining:

• Ruby Gwiber Trumpet (mount) - 50 irregular tomestones
• Ironfrog Mover Ignition Key (mount) - 50 irregular tomestones
• Modern Aesthetics - Gyr Abanian Plait - 50 irregular tomestones
• Ephemeral Necromancer (minion) - 50 irregular tomestones
• Ballroom Etiquette - Overzealous Affirmation - 30 irregular tomestones
• Toro-jiro (minion) - 7 irregular tomestones

The Ruby Gwiber is a wurm/dragon while the Ironfrog Mover reminds me of a cute segment of the main story questine so those are my initial targets. Overall I need to acquire 237 tomestones. Usually I wouldn't even think a acquiring that many. But in addition to some of the regular goals like performing society requests and fishing, I'm going to try to put my newly learned Blue Mage skills to the test.

I had heard through the years the power of the Blue Mage in Moogle Treasure Trove events. At this point I've completed the level 50 stages of The Masked Carnivale so I'm at least familiar with the limited job. Unfortunately I don't have the full kit of dungeon running spells. Which is where the current Moogle event enters the picture.

Normally when running lower level dungeons solo I don't use level sync. I just want the drops and all the Grand Company seals they generate to power my army of retainers. But now I have two additional reason for using level sync. First, when Blue Mages run a dungeon with the option turned on learning spells from NPCs occurs 100% of the time. The second is more relevant to the event. The only way a Blue Mage can earn the irregular tomestones, whether playing solo or in a pre-made group, is if level sync is turned on.

So, for example, I still need to learn Aetheric Mimicry, a core Blue Mage spell for running dungeons. The spell drops from the first boss in Pharos Sirius (Hard). So if I make one successful run of Pharos Sirius (Hard), I'll get Aetheric Mimicry, 4 irregular tomestones, and whatever drops to convert into seals.

The weekly objective gives a bit of a bonus this week. I've wanted to do Castrum Meridianum just in general. Not only does the duty give 4 tomestones but the weekly objective reward adds in 20 more. Hopefully next week's objective is The Praetorium, which gives out 7 tomestones.

Teams of Blue Mages can make short work of a dungeon, so I'm sure one will emerge as the most efficient one to run. But I have the feeling the tomestones will roll in as I work to get all the spells I'm missing. At least, I hope so.

Possible Cash Flow Issues At The Launch Of EVE Online's Global PLEX Market

When I woke up this morning I immediately logged into EVE Online to look at the new global PLEX market.

Three hours into the global PLEX market

By the end of the day I expect the market to return to normal. Three hours in and I already saw someone setting up a firewall at 6.3 million ISK. But I did see a slight difference between the messaging I saw concerning existing PLEX orders when the servers came back up this morning.

On Friday, the message went out today was the day CCP would implement the global PLEX market. 

Once the system launches on Tranquility, all existing PLEX orders will be cancelled and fees reimbursed. Location based tax and structure rules remain unchanged for now. 

Sure, players would have to repost their orders but I think everyone expected something like that. But when I read the patch notes this morning I spotted a slight difference.

All outstanding PLEX orders were cancelled, and fees will be reimbursed within a few days. [emphasis mine]

Look, I understand. The developers needed to warn everyone about the change ahead of time so people could report their orders so the market operated with as little disruption as possible. At the same time, CCP couldn't warn people about the delay in returning fees to avoid causing a disruption in the PLEX market over a holiday weekend in the U.S. After all, a not insignificant number of buyers and sellers might cancel their orders to avoid the delay in getting all their ISK back. 

Just remember that when changes like this occur that the developers might not give players all the information they might like ahead of time. I think veteran players understand. Newer players may not.

The Global PLEX Market Arriving On July 7

Today CCP took the unusual step of creating one giant market for the sale of PLEX in EVE Online. 

On 7 July, the global PLEX market launches, introducing a unified market region for PLEX accessible from (almost) anywhere in space. All PLEX trades will be pooled into one unified market, with purchases still delivered to your Vault. No friction, no travel, just pure liquidity...

Once the system launches on Tranquility, all existing PLEX orders will be cancelled and fees reimbursed. Location based tax and structure rules remain unchanged for now.

From following the information about the PLEX market published by the developer, one would think some things changed for the worse recently, of which the creation of a single global market is part of the solution to the issues.

PLEX plays a foundational role in this system. But over time, as discussed in a previous blog, its function has drifted. It’s increasingly treated as a long-term investment or speculative asset, rather than a flexible, fluid currency meant to empower player choice. That dynamic distorts pricing, limits access, and creates artificial scarcity that benefits a few at the expense of many. 

We’re committed to fixing that, without resorting to harsh measures like inventory taxes, price hikes, or product removals. Instead, we're focused on system-level changes that move us closer to a healthy, fair market equilibrium. [emphasis mine]

That claim of players only recently treating PLEX as a long-term investment or speculative asset is a recent phenomenon, followed by thinly veiled threats, just doesn't sit right with me. 

I could turn to some of the price indicies updates from 2011 to show such activity as existed since the creation of PLEX. In July 2011, the economic data team reported on speculative trading in PLEX in response to a dev blog. But perhaps my favorite report from the era came on the two year anniversary of the creation of PLEX for November 2011.

PLEX prices rise by 13% from October to November, having risen by 7.9% the month before.  At its peak on November 15, the daily average reached 498 million ISK, which is an all-time high.  The spike may have been driven by speculation, with the rising price convincing more and more people to keep their stock or add to it.  In the end, the Crucible expansion burst the bubble as many sought to fund their purchases of  newly introduced items through PLEX sales, thus significantly increasing PLEX supply.  This dropped the price by 10% from November 28 to December 1.

But perhaps the most meaty content on the subject is Dr. Eyjolfur "Eyjo" Gudmundsson's economy presentation at EVE Fanfest 2014. One of the first professional economists ever brought into a game studio specifically to manage and analyze a virtual economy, Dr. Eyjo worked at CCP Games from 2007 to 2014. As one of the creators of PLEX, I think his words might have extra weight.

Comments about PLEX ... in 2014

Now PLEX as a product has increased usage since 2008 when it was first introduced. And at times yes prices have increased and even we can say quite rapidly in 2013. But it is not a consumer good as I mentioned earlier. It is not a driver for inflation of other items. There's a completely different market going on. A completely different thinking going on the PLEX market than there is when people are buying stuff to consume. Stuff to get out there and getting destroyed. Well, I know there are some to take PLEX out and get destroyed but I have no way to know what they are thinking. But please keep doing it.

But the biggest way of getting rid of PLEX is actually just by putting it out as a subscription. So this has become as I have mentioned before one of the most important items and it is truly showing a behavior as gold does in real life. When people believe that there might be inflation they want to go and buy PLEX to kind of keep their value. If they take a break from the game they want to store their value in PLEXes because they have this direct connection to a US dollar value or a real life value.

While CCP now offers more than game time for PLEX, I was interested how PLEX has increased in value over the past 16 years.

Price increases before the implementation of a global market

I divided the past 16 years into four eras:

The Dr. Eyjo era (January 2009 to June 2014) - The period ran from 2 months after the introduction of PLEX to the retiring of the Nobel Exchange and creation of the New Eden Store. During this time Dr. Eyjo was able to oversee the PLEX market. The end of the period corresponds with Dr. Eyjo leaving CCP to become the rector of the University of Akureyri, where he stayed until last year. The average price of PLEX in The Forge increased an average of 1.2% per month.

The beginning of the New Eden Store (June 2017 to March 2017) - This period was noteworthy for the use of Aurum in the new cash stop along with the addition of new items and services. Skill extractors and injectors were introduced in February 2016 while  The average price of PLEX in The Forge increased an average of 1.9% per month.

The new PLEX era begins (March 2017 to October 2022) - In March 2017 CCP ended the use of Aurum as a virtual currency and divided existing PLEX into 500 slices. The period also witnessed a large decline in the player base. The average price of PLEX in The Forge returned to increasing an average of 1.2% per month.

The Second Expansion Era (October 2022 to July 2025) - The period begins the month before the Uprising expansion to the creation of the global PLEX market. While posting large absolute price increases, the average price of PLEX in The Forge only increased an average of 1.0% per month.

The first decreased velocity of PLEX in 2013

Another concern I've heard about the PLEX market today is the declining amount of PLEX available for purchase. But again, players have seen this situation before. Dr. Eyjo addressed the situation in his 2014 economy presentation.

Let's look at the per PLEX price development and you'll see once you take the 30,000 foot view that things were not really that crazy in 2013. This starts in the beginning of the year in January and throughout the year it is kind of between 5-6 hundred million ISK until we hit November and December, as we would expect around an expansion, Increased demand with a relatively fixed growing supply. But there is an interesting phenomenon going on on this graph. Do you spot it? And remember what I told you from the earlier slide. I told you sales of PLEX have been increasing throughout the lifetime of PLEX. 

[Answer from the audience]

Less on the market. Thank you. Where are you? I owe you a beer. There, this guy. Look at him. I owe this guy a beer.

Yes, there is something going on in the system in the way that people are not willing to put the PLEX just out there. In economic terms we would call it as a decreased velocity and if you read the numbers from the right this is the in-game trade. There are 140-160 thousand PLEXes traded on the market per month. The velocity is greater than one meaning that each PLEX gets traded more often than one so this is not the total sales of PLEX during a month. It's the in-game trade. And as usage were increasing people were just putting less and less on the market.

[Question from the audience]

Is that the fact and I'll pick up on this question because I'm sure that that question is on Twitter. We have added services for PLEX so people may have the perception that's good to have a PLEX if they wanted to buy that service. But vast majority of PLEXes are used for subscription still. So it might be a marginal driver but it is not the biggest driver at this point in time. 

With the introduction of the Paragon Hub and the SKINNR system in the Equinox expansion in June 2024 a lot more services were added players could pay for with PLEX. Or as the dev blog stated:

Over the past few years, we’ve steadily added more products to the NES and the Paragon Hub. That means more ways to use PLEX which is good but it also puts more pressure on the supply side of the equation, like we are seeing now with it being one of the lowest the market has ever seen. At the same time, PLEX has developed a kind of stock-market appeal, especially among veteran players who see it as an asset to hoard or flip. The result? A large, ever growing, slow-moving float of PLEX held in wallets across New Eden, leading to less liquidity on the market. 

This limited availability especially during rare sales or high-activity events creates volatility and drives up the ISK price of PLEX. That volatility can destabilize the broader player economy, contributing to inflation and making the climb steeper for new and returning players who rely on PLEX to access Omega or other NES items. 

Over the weekend I've done a lot of research and thinking about the changes the global PLEX market foretells. I'm still not sure how I should feel about the changes. Not because a global market would make my live easier. But if things don't work out, will CCP look to take all the PLEX on my accounts away from me?

Cloud Imperium Cash Shop Sales Hit $45.9 Million In Q2 2025

Cloud Imperium ended June 2025 with strong monthly cash shop sales of $9.2 million as recorded by the CCU Game dashboard. The figure represented a year-over-year revenue increase of 26.0% compared to the $7.3 million in goods sold in June 2024. But for the first time in 2025 June's total did not set a company record for the month, failing to reach the $10.3 million sold in June 2022.

In the three previous years cash shop sales had plateaued, averaging $115.9 million in the years 2022-2024. While not as dramatic, June's sales total still exceeded average sales by 13.0% compared to the previous three Junes.

The last day of June also ended the second quarter of 2025. The company finished with the best second quarter ever with a total of $45.9 million. The total was a 23.9 YoY increase over Q2 2024 and exceeded the 2022-2024 second quarter average by 27.0%. Overall, April through June of 2025 was the third most successful quarter in terms of sales in CIG's 13 year history. The only two quarters topping last quarter were Q4 2023 ($51.5 million) and Q4 2024 ($48.2 million).

The $845.5 million displayed on the Roberts Space Industries funding page at the end of June was not a comprehensive accounting for all of CIG's revenue since the project's Kickstarter in October 2012. Overall, the company has recorded $969.9 million in confirmed revenue (the funding page & the 2023 financial report).

• Sales/Pledges: $845.5 million (through 30 June 2025)
• Other cash shop revenue: $2.3 million (through 31 December 2023)
• Subscriptions: $39.5 million (through 31 December 2023)
• All other sources: $82.6 million (through 31 December 2023)

In addition, the company has received a total of $68.25 million in outside investment. According to the 2023 financial report, $4.8 million of the amount was returned to investors in 2020 and another $1.9 million in 2023. Including the outside investment money, the total amount raised by CIG to create Squadron 42 and Star Citizen is $1.038 billion, or $1.031 billion when excluding the returned funds. An additional $12.6 million in loans issued in March 2025 and due for repayment on 31 December 2027 are not included in the total.

New Accounts - A lot of people put stock into the creation of new accounts. For those people, June brought good news as the 33,763 accounts created in June meant more new accounts were created in the first half of 2025 (265,984) than during the same time period in 2024 (262,541).

Of course, a 1.3% YoY increase in new account creation in the first half of 2025 doesn't really explain a 31.4% YoY increase in sales between the first half of 2025 over the first half of 2024.

The 27.2% YoY increase in account creation in the second quarter of 2025 offset the 29.0% decrease in new user accounts in the first quarter. I do believe the announcement of the ending of the old referral program on 31 March had a hand in the increase in users as participants raced to qualify for rewards before the new program goes into effect on 2 July. The numbers in the third quarter should prove interesting.

What to watch for - Since the leadership shakeup at the end of 2024 Cloud Imperium Games is flying high. Summer is usually a slow time for cash shop sales so will the sales momentum carry over through the next three months? Also, will the spike in new account creation continue with the start of the new referral program? The only negative question is whether the new leadership team will act like the old and increase spending to match the income increase so far. If I'm right the current revenue increase just returns CIG to slight profitability after two years of rather large losses. But will CIG's upcoming actions meet those expectations, or will a spending spree erupt over the summer?

What Is Grace In EVE Frontier?

In all honesty I didn't pay any attention to EVE Frontier's Grace system. I looked at the description briefly, saw part of getting Grace involved linking my social media accounts to a third party app, and decided Grace wasn't for me. From there I ignored the feature until I read an article over at MassivelyOP. Here's the key part for me.

...But CCP would very much like you to share impressions of it, which is why it’s offering a free trial starting on June 27th and running through July 7th. You can log in and play for free, and any Grace you earn will convert to EVE Points… assuming you buy a Founder’s account before the end of Cycle 1.

So all of your progress will be retained if you buy in before the deadline, otherwise it’ll all be lost, which feels like it’s so on-brand that if someone wrote it in a script the editor would note that it was a bit heavy-handed...

After reading the piece I was left with the impression the Grace system would allow people to bypass the planned frequent server wipes. Except I knew that wasn't the case. So I fired up Copilot to explain Frontier's Grace system to me.

Grace is a temporary, development-phase progression currency in EVE Frontier, earned during limited-time Cycles. The system tracks players' activity across missions, social engagement, recruitment, and Tribe contributions. At the end of each Cycle, a player's Grace total is converted into EVE Points, which reflect the player's standing during that specific testing period.

However, keep in mind the following details:

• Cycles will end when the game fully launches.
• Grace will no longer be earned or used post-launch.
• EVE Points will not persist into the live game—they’re exclusive to the Founder Access phase.

Those last two points are my understanding as CCP is not touting Frontier as a seasonal type of game upon launch. Also, I should point out EVE Points are not some type of cryptocurrency. The cryptocurrency for Frontier is the EVE Token. If the company later on decides to make EVE Points convertible into EVE Tokens, that's a red flag that maybe the people in charge of Frontier aren't that trustworthy after all.

How does the Grace system work for players? Copilot listed out four general categories:

• Missions & Gameplay: Mining, building, exploring, combat—just playing the game earns Grace.
• Social Engagement: Joining a Tribe, sharing content, or engaging with the community.
• Recruitment: Inviting new players and helping them get started.
• Tribe Goals: Your Tribe’s performance boosts a player's personal Grace total.

The Grace system makes Frontier resemble a seasonal game. Grace is earned within a specific Cycle, which is a limited-time season during the game’s development. At the end of each Cycle, a player's Grace is converted into EVE Points, reflecting the player's standing during that Cycle. However, both Grace and EVE Points will be retired when the game fully launches.

The devs do get something out of the Grace system as well. For example, if they want to test out a particular game system they can skew the list of objectives towards that system. As an example, below is the mission list for Cycle 1.

In-game missions to acquire Grace

Another benefit is access to important pieces of information during a Cycle. For example, how many players logged into the game vs how many players managed to kill an NPC might provide some information about how sticky the alpha experience is for players. Or perhaps the statistic of jumping to systems containing every type of star leads to how much players wish to explore. I can't see how the devs do not have a quick way to reference this type of information to aid in planning what to test during the next Cycle.

I want to address one last concern I had about the Grace system. Players receive Grace for performing certain activities using their social media accounts. Even hooking up a social media account generates Grace. But how easy is it to change your mind?

I found the process, while annoying, fairly easy. I went to the Missions page and selected "Edit Profile". Under "Accounts & Wallets" I made sure that all my social media accounts were disconnected.

My profile page - no social media connected.

I had connected my Twitter and Discord accounts to the Grace system and clicked on the "Disconnect" button. I found that the 3rd party app CCP uses to monitor players' social accounts, Snag Loyalty, still had access to my accounts, so I followed the instructions for each platform to remove the access. Kind of a pain but more inconvenient than difficult. I did leave my email address in because I still want to receive emails about the game.

Looking back, I don't know why the writer over at MassivelyOP had the reaction he had. The Grace system seems like a harmless system designed to keep people playing and testing Frontier engaged. The offer to let people try the game and then allow them to keep their progress if they purchase Founder's access sounds like what CCP has done with login events if they upgrade from Alpha (free) to Omega (paid) status for years. Quite frankly, I haven't heard any complaints from games journalists about that practice. I guess I could just chalk up the criticism to a case of Frontier Derangement Syndrome.

Legion Got A Little Things Patch: S thru Z

Tuesday's Little Things patch for EVE Online was so long I cut off my look at the patch notes. Today's post covers the second half. Hopefully the handshake icon shows up for readers to know which changes were suggested by players. The icons show up for me, but I know hardware and browsers differ.

Science & Industry:

• 🤝 We now show you the number of blueprints that match a filter in the footer of the industry window. This would be very useful when manufacturing from BPCs (tech 2 for example) to track how many blueprints are remaining.

Ships:

• 🤝 Added the option to keybind a shortcut to open the “Infrastructure Hold” found on the Upwell Haulers and the Avalanche.

Sovereignty:

Null sec mechanics were the only subject with more notes than the Triglavians. Here is the description from the dev blog:

Multiple adjustments and additions have also been made based on input from the CSM and wider EVE community. Skyhooks that will enter a vulnerable state within the next two hours will now be highlighted on the new, optimized map, offering enhanced clarity for raiding and making it easier to plan and strike with precision. The raiding window has been extended, giving room for tactical aggression and coordinated assaults. 

PvP enthusiasts will discover more conflict opportunities around Metenox sites, with changes that close loopholes previously used to avoid engagements. Owners can no longer unanchor their structures to escape a fight, making each deployment a true commitment.

Nullsec aggression gets more strategic as capsuleers gain the ability to hack sovereignty hubs with Data and Relic Analyzer modules to gather intel. This enables skilled scouts to access important information about the sovereignty hub, including which upgrades are installed and which are online, allowing for more informed decisions when identifying opportune targets.

• Meta-Molecular Combiners and Isotropic Deposition Guides have been added as rare drops to the Data and Relic site escalations which come exclusively from the new exploration sovereignty upgrades.
• 🤝 Increased the duration of the mining escalation obtained from the Level 2 and Level 3 sovereignty upgrades from 6 hours to 24 hours.
• 🤝 The length of time the ‘Orbital Skyhook Management’ window can be opened and used, which is where players can choose to capture or destroy skyhooks after claiming sovereignty in the solar system, has been increased from 1 hour to 24 hours so executor corp directors don’t have to be immediately available in the solar system when sov is captured.
• 🤝 Added options to interact with Skyhooks, Sovereignty Hubs and Mercenary Dens to the selected items window.
• 🤝 It is now possible to search for system and region names in the alliance sovereignty hubs window.
• Sovereignty Hubs can now be hacked with Data and Relic Analyzer modules, if successful, then players are given a list of all upgrades currently installed in the Sov Hub, their priority and if they are online or offline.
• Increased the time that Skyhooks are raidable from 1 hour to 2 hours.
• Note: This will only take effect for existing Skyhooks after any existing vulnerability timers have already ended and the next one scheduled. It will therefore take until this upcoming Saturday downtime for every single Skyhook to have the 2 hour vulnerability window.
  
  
• Skyhooks which are about to become vulnerable will now show in the updated world map and the agency, up to 2 hours before they become vulnerable. In the ‘Raidable Skyhooks’ filter under Sovereignty
• Large red circle: Skyhook will become raidable in <10 minutes.
• Orange medium circles: Raidable in 10 minutes to 1 hour.
• Small yellow circles: Raidable in 1 to 2 hours.
  
  
• Sovereignty combat sites spawned by the major and minor threat arrays and the Level 1 mining sites have been moved over to our new method of distributing sites. This will mean that they will no longer instantly spawn when turning their upgrade on/off at the sovereignty hub, and will now wait their 12 minute/1 hour respawn timers before they first appear.
• The sites spawned by these upgrades will now always respect the time when the last site was completed. This means that the combat sites will continue to instantly respawn as long as the previous site was around for 12 minutes, and the mining sites will still instantly respawn if the previous site was around for 1 hour.

Structures & Deployables:

• Metenox Moon Drills now require 3 days (72 hours) to unanchor instead of 45 minutes like other FLEX structures.
• Metenox Moon Drills now give a 20 second ‘warp disabled’ debuff when a player damages or activates a module on one, much like other upwell structures.
• 🤝 POS (Starbases) and Custom Offices now show their reinforcement timestamp in the select items window which you can then copy to the clipboard, just like with upwell structures and skyhooks.
• 🤝 In the structure browser, on the ‘My Skyhooks’ page, it’s now possible to copy information here to the clipboard.

User Interface:

• 🤝 You can now see labels that have been assigned to a character/corp/alliance in the show info window, an icon has been added to the portrait that you can hover the mouse cursor over to get the label name in the tooltip.
• 🤝 In the corporation window you can now copy member standings that are contributing to corp standings.
• 🤝 The ‘next destination’ color in the overview for stargates/stations etc. has been made brighter so it’s clearer and more noticeable.
• 🤝 It’s now possible to copy member entries (Characters/Corporations/Alliances etc) to the clipboard from Access Lists (ACLs).
• 🤝 We no longer show the ‘Unallocated Skill points available’ pointer when you log in to the game, and now only show it when you gain unallocated skillpoints (like after using a skill injector)
• 🤝 When right clicking a wormhole in space or from the overview - the “Enter Wormhole” option has now been placed near the top at the same location where “Jump” is for stargates, rather than the very bottom option.
• 🤝 Characters that have Omega status can now optionally remove the full interactable ‘skill details’ tooltip that appears when you mouse over some modules/ships that you don’t have the skills to use and just show a much smaller non-interactable tooltip with basic information instead. This can be done in the inventory menu settings menu found in the right corner.
• 🤝 Added a new text filter to the locations in current solar system pop-out window which can be optionally disabled, the locations in system window should also no longer ‘eat keyboard shortcuts’ while the window is focused now unless you are typing into the text filter.