Something big is dropping into the massive EVE Online gaming universe

Get your blasters ready, EVE Online players.

Eight spaceships will drop into the multiplayer open universe game for combat, exploration or just zooming by stars super-fast (as one does). If you're looking for a "monster of the universe" or "massive firepower" to control, be sure to check out the epic set below.

"The future of war has arrived," CCP Games said today (opens in new tab) (Nov. 1) of Eve Uprising, an expansion pack that will drop on Nov. 8. Territory grabs and factional combat will all be a part of the new "Frontlines" combat scenario, which will allow players to level up through "rewards and strategic advantages." More details will come on the release date.

But players are asking for an easier recruiting experience to get into the game, which tends to appeal to hardcore enthusiasts who enjoy detailed math and engineering alongside pretty cosmic views.

Related: Best space exploration games

"The game is amazing, right? But then you start to realize you have to become a mathematician," TikTok's ayoehhtv said in a viral video (opens in new tab), adding that it's one of those games in which "the learning curve is too high."

Unlike many games of its type, EVE has traditionally limited quests and allows the player to go just about anywhere, so keys to success likely include finishing the tutorial and moving toward something that is fun or accessible to complete. CCP Games has an official beginner's guide (opens in new tab) to try and help you, too.

EVE Online is promising "a series of fresh content and features" with the expansion pack, but the makers didn't say directly whether overhauling user play would make the game less Kerbal Space Program-like. (We love Kerbal, too, but the physics of the thing make that also difficult for new players.)

Related: Kerbal Space Program 2 to launch on early access in February 2023

EVE Online's November 2022 expansion includes a boatload of space vessels. (Image credit: CCP Games)

EVE Online is best known for its PC gameplay, but it's also available in a mobile-friendly version known as EVE Echoes. That launched in 2020 with new features and the new Yan-Jung faction, along with a set of tutorials for newer players.

If you're looking for more options to explore the universe via gaming, there are plenty of planets and aliens to find in different franchises. Get started with the best space exploration games, best space mobile games or (if you have a bit of Halloween hangover) the best space horror games.

Elizabeth Howell is the co-author of "Why Am I Taller (opens in new tab)?" (ECW Press, 2022; with Canadian astronaut Dave Williams), a book about space medicine. Follow her on Twitter @howellspace (opens in new tab)Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab) or Facebook (opens in new tab).

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Elizabeth Howell
Staff Writer, Spaceflight

Elizabeth Howell (she/her), Ph.D., is a staff writer in the spaceflight channel since 2022 covering diversity, education and gaming as well. She was contributing writer for Space.com (opens in new tab) for 10 years before joining full-time, freelancing since 2012. Elizabeth's reporting includes multiple exclusives with the White House and Office of the Vice-President of the United States, an exclusive conversation with aspiring space tourist (and NSYNC bassist) Lance Bass, speaking several times with the International Space Station, witnessing five human spaceflight launches on two continents, working inside a spacesuit, and participating in a simulated Mars mission. Her latest book, "Why Am I Taller?", is co-written with astronaut Dave Williams. Elizabeth holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Space Studies from the University of North Dakota, a Bachelor of Journalism from Canada's Carleton University and (soon) a Bachelor of History from Athabasca University. Elizabeth is also a post-secondary instructor in communications and science since 2015. Elizabeth first got interested in space after watching the movie Apollo 13 in 1996, and still wants to be an astronaut someday. Mastodon: https://qoto.org/@howellspace