Over the weekend CCP Games went into a major marketing push for its Massively Multiplayer Moddable Role Playing Game EVE Frontier. Beginning on Wednesday the game leaves closed alpha and all non-disclosure agreements drop. But what does that mean besides the possibility of new Rooks and Kings videos? Let's look at the press release published on Saturday.
REYKJAVÍK, Iceland – June 7, 2025 - Today, CCP Games announced Founder Access: New Era for EVE Frontier, the in-development space survival MMO for PC and Mac, launching Wednesday, 11 June. A major update introducing new gameplay, content and Cycles,it also marks the first public step in creating a visionary sci-fi survivalexperience.
EVE Frontier is set in an enigmatic and hostile galaxy shaped by player-driven activity. Players inhabit Riders, awakened clones flung into the Frontier without purpose or memory of the world around them. As they venture into the dark, they must build shelters, forge Tribes and harvest resources to grow in power and survive the constant threat of annihilation.
Founder Access: New Era opens EVE Frontier to the public, as it emerges from its closed alpha phase. For the first time, players are free to share gameplay footage, impressions, and experiences without any restrictions, ushering in a new, fully public phase of development. To celebrate the announcement, CCP Games unveiled a new trailer, “The Ancient Dark”. Set in the shadow of forgotten ruins and the scars of eons-old wars, it chronicles the cycle of death and rebirth that binds all Riders - each caught in an endless struggle for survival within a cruel and boundless galaxy.
Founder Access: New Era also kicks off a brand-new seasonal progression system for EVE Frontier called Cycles. The first Cycle, Promised Lands, starts on 11 June. Players will gain Grace for completing in-game missions and activities, rising to the top of each Cycle Leaderboard alongside their Tribe. As Founder Access: New Era continues, Cycles will continue to introduce new missions, objectives and content.
More videos and information will be revealed in the run-up to Founder Access: New Era, including a sneak peek at gameplay during the PC Gaming Show and a deep-dive gameplay stream on Twitch, Sunday 8 June (21:00 UTC / 2:00 PM PDT / 5:00 PM EDT / 10:00 PM BST / 11:00 PM CEST).
To learn more or to purchase Founder Access, visit www.evefrontier.com/founderaccess. For more information about EVE Frontier, visit www.evefrontier.com. A FAQ can be found at www.evefrontier.com/faq. Assets for EVE Frontier can be found in the press kit.
But the studio went well beyond just issuing a press release. As part of Frontier's emergence from closed beta were the appearances on the Future Games Show, an appearance by CCP's CEO Hilmar Veigar Pétursson on IGN Live, and the PC Gaming Show. These appearances were designed for those unfamiliar with EVE Online and the EVE universe.
First up, the trailer shown on Saturday on the Future Games Show. The trailer was narrated by Hilmar and emphasized the moddable aspect of Frontier. For those looking for a game to do something revolutionary, the ability to mod server-side in a multi-player game is the selling point.
Later on Saturday came a 15 minute segment on the IGN Live 2025 stream with the host interviewing Hilmar. The interviewer was a bit cringe but I liked Hilmar's performance. He did not go into technological visionary mode as I've often watch him do to on the main stage at Fanfest.
Yes, he did bring up the idea of the game's 100,000+ systems providing content for decades. But the words "EVE Forever" was not uttered once.
For those who just want to watch the game trailer I've included it below.
On Sunday CCP dropped a third trailer that appeared on the PC Gaming Show. While the shortest, I would use this final trailer to introduce players to the game. And no, CCP Jötunn's narration is not the reason.
I did watch the beginning of the final event for the weekend, a gameplay stream featuring CCP Jötunn, CCP Overload and Dark Shines from The Initiative. on Sunday.
I did learn a couple of things before logging off. One, while over one hundred thousand systems are planned, the in-game map cannot handle that amount yet. Another is the game will have Lagrange points. The way the game works Lagrange points will limit the amount of structure spam in space. Also, mining lasers can damage ships as well mine ore from asteroids. The final difference between Online and Frontier mentioned that I saw was heat is a bigger factor. For example, overheating can limit or even remove a ship's ability to use its jump drive. Needless to say, fighting at the sun in Frontier probably is not a wise decision.
One thing I have to point out is CCP did not mention the use of blockchain technology in its mainstream gaming appearances and the beginning of the gameplay stream. A good marketing decision in my opinion. Most Web3/blockchain games I've seen are crap designed to attract cryptobros looking to make a quick buck. CCP instead is looking to make a good game to attract gamers that will last as long as EVE Online, a game currently in its third decade of operation. And while I think CCP's tagline of "EVE Forever" is a bit pie-in-the-sky, the marketing for the game definitely is not trying to attract cryptobros looking for a quick pump-and-dump opportunity. At least not last weekend.
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