EVE players given mission to search for real-life exoplanets

EVE Online's Project Discovery is a story of how gaming communities can band together to solve real-world problems. Last year, the MMO's fan base helped map the human proteome, and this year, they're helping with something they might be more familiar with: charting outer space. 

At Fanfest, the annual gathering of the EVE Online community, developer CCP Games revealed more about the project, which was initially announced in February. Players will scour images from the Kepler space telescope for anomalies—specifically, they're looking for areas where the light from a distant star is interrupted, which could indicate the presence of an elusive exoplanet.

Once a player finds something they think is a bit fishy, they will write a short description and submit it to a database holding all responses. The images that are flagged the most will then be sent to the University of Geneva, who are leading the project alongside Massively Multiplayer Online Science and the University of Reykjavik.

Essentially, researchers are using the players to filter out the noise, leaving them to focus on the most likely images, therefore increasing the chances of finding an exoplanet.

The man leading the project is Michel Mayor, the first scientist to discover an exoplanet, who appeared on stage in Iceland to drum up some enthusiasm with players. 

If the cause of human advancement weren't motivation enough to get fans to take part, there's in-game currency and other digital rewards to be had. Which always helps.

For more, check out the stream of the evening's action below (skip to 2:26:00 for details of Project Discovery). And don't miss Andy's piece on last year's Project Discovery —the initiative potentially helped improve the diagnosis and treatment of disease.

Samuel Horti

Samuel Horti is a long-time freelance writer for PC Gamer based in the UK, who loves RPGs and making long lists of games he'll never have time to play. 

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
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
starcraft 2 face
StarCraft fans taunted by the announcement of a new StarCraft... board game
kingdom come: deliverance 2 henry looks confused
'Medieval Batman' completes Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 pacifist playthrough with zero kills and 535 knockouts
SUQIAN, CHINA - OCTOBER 6, 2024 - Illustration Tencent's plan to buy Ubisoft, Suqian, Jiangsu province, China, October 6, 2024. (Photo credit should read CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Ubisoft and Tencent are forming a new company that will take control of its most successful franchises: Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six
The Huntress holding a bloody spear.
The biggest update since Path of Exile 2's early access launch is coming next week, bringing a new class and a bunch of endgame changes
Key art for the Ranger class in Path of Exile 2
Path of Exile 2 director isn't worried about ARPG competition, in part thanks to seasons: 'So long as people are willing to come back and play our game for a month four times a year, then I'm good'