CCP Games Announced EVE Online's Winter Expansion: Catalyst

Yesterday CCP Games announced the name of the upcoming winter expansion for EVE Online. Launching on 18 November, Catalyst is a rather humorous, if dark, name for the expansion. The second expansion in a row named after a ship in EVE, the Catalyst is a Gallente destroyer known for using its low cost and high alpha damage as a go-to platform for suicide ganking in high security space. In other words, pretty much the antithesis of the contents of the expansion.

As is my practice, I will copy large portions of the press release issued by CCP as a reminder to how the company is selling the expansion outside the EVE player base. 

REYKJAVÍK, Iceland – October 21, 2025 – Today, CCP Games unveiled EVE Online: Catalyst, the next expansion for the iconic sci-fi MMO, EVE Online. With Catalyst, mining becomes a spark for new conflicts, collaborations, and ambitions. Launching on November 18, 2025, the expansion introduces additional mining vessels, the Prismaticite ore, a highly anticipated 2D star system map, and more.

Read the official news item on the EVE Online website here: 'Catalyst' Expansion Launches 18 November

“Mining is the foundation of all activity in EVE, and with Catalyst, it becomes the forefront of power,” said Bergur Finnbogason, EVE Online’s Creative Director. “We’re reenergizing the mining experience, making it far more dynamic, social, and rewarding. To master the universe, you must master its materials. Whether you build or destroy, it all begins with ore.”

“At face value, ore may seem unremarkable, yet it is the hidden catalyst of EVE’s biggest dramas. Creation, conflict, destruction, and rebirth – it’s the center of the eternal cycle of New Eden,” said Snorri Árnason, EVE Online’s Executive Producer. “But where valuable resources appear, so do rival capsuleers, turning mining operations into contested battlegrounds. Players will once again field the mightiest mining ships in pursuit of extraordinary resources, as well as the brand new Pioneer and Odysseus when Catalyst launches on November 18.”

I want to pause here and belatedly congratulate CCP Rattati on his promotion to Executive Producer for EVE Online. This is the first press release that actually gives him the title. I believe he was promoted back in May after Fanfest as I did find a pre-Legion stream back in May where CCP Swift identified him as such.

A failed experiment on the enigmatic Drifter Gates has destabilized spacetime, causing Hyperspace Fractures to appear across New Eden. These short-lived anomalies reveal Phased Asteroids rich in a volatile new resource, Prismaticite, an erratic ore that reprocesses into random minerals in unpredictable quantities. Outer Ring Excavations (ORE) engineers have unveiled Phase Anchor technology, a deployable system that stabilizes fractured asteroids for coordinated mining.

If the developers are going to introduce more random number generation into mining I much prefer the idea of Prismaticite than the residue mechanic introduced back in December 2021. I mean, the RNG can't be worse, right?

EVE Online: Catalyst’s key features include:

• Hyperspace Fractures and Prismaticite: Explore volatile, time-limited rifts to locate Phased Asteroids rich in Prismaticite, a new erratic ore type. Players can test their luck with random reprocessing or choose a different base mineral for Prismaticite to reprocess into, giving them increased agency for fueling the mining industry and impacting EVE Online’s player-driven economy.
• ‘Pioneer’ Mining Destroyer: The first of its kind, bridging the gap between mining frigates and barges. Designed for accessibility, this ship can be piloted by Alpha clones and upgraded by Omegas, offering an accessible gateway to EVE Online’s industrial gameplay.
• ‘Odysseus’ Exploration Command Ship: A long-range vessel built for deep-space expeditions, enabling veteran explorers to lead extended missions into uncharted regions.
• Mining UI/UX Overhaul: Mining cycles are faster and more immersive, featuring a refreshed scanning overlay and a 2D ore availability map. The tactical, easy-to-read 2D map provides capsuleers with improved system visualization, clear jump ranges, and dual data overlays, offering precise navigation and sharper insights for exploration. Both 2D and 3D maps will feature ore availability indicators, enhanced data readability, and customizable scales for greater clarity in every view.
• Mining Mutaplasmids and Critical Hits: New customization and yield-boosting systems make resource extraction more unpredictable, engaging, and rewarding.
• PLEX Transaction Logs: Personal PLEX histories introduce transparency to the in-game economy.
• Carrier Balancing and Visual Refresh: Empire carriers receive notable balance adjustments and updated visuals in response to player feedback.

Here is where I go to the dev blog to give a comparison of the features the company is highlighting for the player base.

Catalyst expansion launches 18 November

A new, unpredictable ore ignites a galaxy-wide resource rush

Hyperspace fractures reveal volatile asteroid fields rich in Prismaticite

Command new ships: the Pioneer mining destroyer and Odysseus exploration ship

Mining refined with faster cycles, critical hits, and improved UI

Explore the stars with the new 2D map

Start your journey with a new epic arc

Carriers updated, PLEX logs added, and much more to come

Once again I chuckled as I saw the introduction of a mining destroyer in an expansion named after a ship known for ganking mining ships. But I got really excited when I read the dev blog and the new epic arc.

Learn the Ropes with a New Epic Arc

Whether you’re warping into New Eden for the first time, or just want to explore everything the new expansion has to offer, a new accessible and brief epic arc has got you covered.

Explore and experience the new mining content through an introductory narrative journey, intended to test a new way to introduce expansion content. At the end, you will have a new Pioneer mining destroyer to launch your mining career.

This new arc will introduce the Catalyst expansion to pilots of all experience levels, and help new capsuleers set goals and discover some of the wonders of New Eden.

Just as new players could receive the Venture mining frigate by running through the industrialist career agent missions, new players can receive the new mining destroyer by running through an epic arc. Hopefully the developers will reveal how many players run through that arc in the first month or two.

Finally, soon after the launch of the expansion Access Control Lists (ACL) will receive an update to enable corporations to control who can see and contribute to specific Freelance Jobs.

That's a quick overview of the expansion. I probably will log into the game to run the new epic arc and check on the new mining mechanics. I'm interested to see if the new mining mechanics coming to EVE Frontier wind up in the original game. But for now Catalyst shows promise of being a good expansion.