EVE Online players will soon be able to choose sides in the alien invasion

(Image credit: CCP Games)

Last summer, EVE Online was rocked by a sudden, all-out alien invasion. Player alliances had to drop what they were doing to defend their starbases from an overwhelming attack that lasted days, even calling off in-progress wars. It was a dramatic twist in a sprawling narrative developer CCP Games has slowly unveiled over the past year, involving multiple alien factions that have all set their sights on claiming a little slice of EVE Online's virtual galaxy for themselves. And, starting today, players can choose which side of that war they want to fight on.

Today, CCP Games announced the third and final chapter of EVE Online's Invasion expansion which, over the coming weeks and months, will have "lasting consequences in New Eden, ensuring that life in the cluster will never be the same again."

It's not clear exactly how the update will roll out—the suspense and mystery have played a crucial role in keeping players on their toes—but the final act of Invasion will introduce two new factions for players to gain standings with. The first new faction is Edencom, which represents the combined forces of the human empires that players have traditionally been allied with since EVE first launched 17 years ago. The other new faction, however, is the Triglavian Collective—the aliens.

By getting involved in ongoing skirmishes happening across the different sectors of EVE Online, players can increase their reputation with these factions and earn new rewards. With this next phase of the ongoing war, both sides will also be unleashing some new weapons and defenses, hinted at in a new video from EVE Online's fictional news organization called The Scope, which you can see below.

The real promise, though, is a permanent shakeup of EVE Online's galaxy. CCP Games isn't saying exactly what will happen next, but they're promising an epic conclusion coming later this summer—and after a year of fighting, it better be. "At the core of EVE Online is a universe where actions have consequences, and this year the consequences of the Invasion storyline will have deep and lasting effects on players," says creative director Bergur Finnbogason. "Players will have to make their choice carefully."

The final act of EVE Online's Invasion expansion launches today and is free-to-play. If you want to get involved, you can download EVE Online here.

Steven Messner

With over 7 years of experience with in-depth feature reporting, Steven's mission is to chronicle the fascinating ways that games intersect our lives. Whether it's colossal in-game wars in an MMO, or long-haul truckers who turn to games to protect them from the loneliness of the open road, Steven tries to unearth PC gaming's greatest untold stories. His love of PC gaming started extremely early. Without money to spend, he spent an entire day watching the progress bar on a 25mb download of the Heroes of Might and Magic 2 demo that he then played for at least a hundred hours. It was a good demo.

Latest in Sim
An ancient, angry stone mech from No Man's Sky's new Relics update
No Man’s Sky lets you unearth ancient, angry mechs in the astro-archaeology filled Relics update
Dwarf Fortress adventure mode art
After 23 years of making Dwarf Fortress, even its creator is still 'terrified' of drowning all his dwarves with aquifers: 'Part of the problem is we are just not good at videogames'
Tarn Adams, who cofounded Bay 12 Games with his brother Zach, talks about their single-player simulation game "Dwarf Fortress" during an interview at their home office in Poulsbo, Washington, west of Seattle, on December 9, 2022. - A cult favorite among indie game fans, "Dwarf Fortress" has been available for purchase on the Steam online store since December 6, a first for this title that has been distributed for free since its debut in 2006. The real-time management game, set in a medieval-fantasy world and involving overseeing a group of dwarves seeking to build a mighty fortress, has climbed to the fourth best-selling weekly title on Steam. (Photo by Jason Redmond / AFP) (Photo by JASON REDMOND/AFP via Getty Images)
Dwarf Fortress' creator is so tired of hearing about AI: 'Press a button and it writes a really sh*tty, wrong essay about something—and they still take your job'
Decorations in TCG Card Shop Simulator
TCG Card Shop Simulator finally adds the ability to decorate our stores, and suddenly all my profits are being spent on adorable Pigni posters
A person on a snowmobile riding a track in the forest in game Sledders.
Powder enthusiasts seem pretty pleased with new physics-based realistic snowmobile sim Sledders
Dean Hall at GDC 2025.
Outer space inspired DayZ's Dean Hall to become a modder and game developer, and now he's making a Kerbal successor called Kitten Space Agency
Latest in News
The titular character from Princess Mononoke is depicted riding the wolf goddess Moro and carrying a spear.
Studio Ghibli AI image trend floods social media, cheered on by OpenAI and denounced by critics as an insult to Hayao Miyazaki
Marvel Rivals tier list - Wolverine
Marvel Rivals director says a future patch will reduce the shooter's insatiable hunger for RAM: 'It's a very big problem'
Hogwarts Legacy potions professor holding a potion
An unannounced Hogwarts Legacy expansion and 'definitive edition' have reportedly been cancelled
Story of Seasons - A cahacter in a purple tuxedo stands outside in a town square talking to the player
Story of Seasons is doing another Harvest Moon remake and it might be the best the series has ever looked
Assassin's Creed Shadows change seasons - An upper-body shot of Yasuke looking cheerfully up into the distance.
Assassin's Creed Shadows puts up the 'second highest day-one sales revenue in Assassin's Creed franchise history'
A witch riding a broom sails past a Fish and Chips shop.
Cozy gamers rejoice: Witchbrook finally has a release window, and yes, you can fly around on a broom with your friends