Copyright Wccftech
Today, CCP Games unveiled EVE Online: Catalyst, the next expansion coming to the 22-year-old sci-fi MMO. Catalyst goes live on November 18, and the developers believe it will kickstart a new resource rush due to mining becoming even more important than it already was. Lore-wise, this is explained by a failed experiment on the enigmatic Drifter Gates, which has caused spacetime to become unstable, resulting in Hyperspace Fractures appearing across New Eden. These short-lived anomalies reveal Phased Asteroids rich in Prismaticite, a volatile new resource that reprocesses into random minerals in unpredictable quantities. Outer Ring Excavations engineers have created Phase Anchor technology: a deployable system that stabilises fractured asteroids for coordinated mining. Bergur Finnbogason, EVE Online's Creative Director, stated: Mining is the foundation of all activity in EVE, and with Catalyst, it becomes the forefront of power. 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. Snorri Árnason, EVE Online's Executive Producer, added: 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. 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. EVE Online players will explore these volatile, time-limited rifts to find Phased Asteroids. Once they extracted Prismaticite, they can test their luck with random reprocessing or choose a different base mineral for the Prismaticite to be reprocessed into. This gives players increased agency in fuelling the mining industry and impacting the player-driven economy of EVE Online. There are also two new ships, the ‘Pioneer’ Mining Destroyer and the 'Odysseus' Exploration Command Ship. The former can be piloted by Alpha clones and upgraded by Omegas, while the latter is a long-range vessel built to allow veteran explorers to launch extended missions into uncharted regions of space. With Catalyst, mining cycles have been revamped to be faster and more immersive, featuring a refreshed scanning overlay and a 2D ore availability map. The easy-to-read, tactical 2D map provides players with improved system visualisation, clear jump ranges and dual data overlays, offering precise navigation and sharper insights for exploration. Both 2D and 3D maps feature ore availability indicators and enhanced data readability, with customisable scales for greater clarity in every view. Overall, resource extraction is now more unpredictable, engaging, and rewarding. Additionally, CCP Games introduced PLEX transaction logs to improve the in-game economy's transparency, and also tweaked the balance and visuals of Empire carriers. Last month, EVE Online became linked to EVE Vanguard through Operation Nemesis, allowing players of both games to influence the same universe, a long-time goal of the studio.
