Project Nova, the shooter set in the EVE Online universe, will be getting an invite-only alpha test this November, CCP Games announced today at their EVE fan convention in Las Vegas. Though it has existed in some form for years but was first playable in 2016, Project Nova often felt like a half-abandoned pipe dream until CCP announced in April that the project had made significant progress and would be playable in 2018. And they've made good on that promise: There's a playable demo for EVE Vegas attendees, too.
I'll have my impressions of that demo for you to read in coming days, but you won't have to wait too long for a chance to find out for yourself. With the closed alpha beginning in November, players can sign up for chance to get an invite here.
During the EVE Vegas keynote presentation, we also got a lot more details on what Project Nova will be. Similar to the Playstation 3 exclusive Dust 514, Project Nova is a multiplayer shooter set in the EVE Online universe, though the two won't connect in any meaningful way (at least for now). That's pretty disappointing, considering it was a central feature when Project Nova was first announced. Players take the role of a Warclone in a fight against the evil Sansha nation in both PvE and PvP battles. Like every shooter these days, Project Nova will also have a progression system "with a huge variety of customization in abilities, weapons and skills."
Similar to EVE Online's ship building, Project Nova players have modules with different functionalities that they can slot onto their suits of exo-armor. Customization seems to be key here, with players having upwards of six different armor suits to choose from, each one loaning itself to a different playstyle.
Project Nova will have PvE battles against "adaptive enemy AI" with "unpredictable procedural objectives"—meaning CCP is trying to make missions play out differently each time you replay them. Players have to work as a squad, though, and can also shape the map by deploying different tools like automated defenses.
It all sounds cool, but there's also so much we still don't know about Project Nova. CCP hasn't announced a price or a release date, so there's no guarantee that another two years won't go by without a release.
I'm boots on the ground here at EVE Vegas, so stay tuned for our impressions on Project Nova and more news about EVE Online.
