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Eve Online’s FPS sister Vanguard sets date for new public alpha

Eve Vanguard, the upcoming FPS set in the world of MMO Eve Online, is having a free alpha test next month that you can sign up for.

Eve Online Vanguard

Eve Vanguard, the upcoming FPS module connected to CCP Games’ persistent space MMORPG Eve Online, is having what the team is calling a “pre-alpha playtest.” After being announced earlier this year, anticipation for the new game is at a fever pitch, so here’s everything you need to know about how to get involved.

The Unreal Engine 5 FPS game was revealed during Eve Fanfest in Reykjavik. Eve Vanguard will be a separate but linked module to the base Eve Online game. You’ll take up the role of a Vanguard as part of a shooter that director Snorri Árnason says will have extraction, crafting, and survival elements.

This pre-alpha test for Eve Vanguard is being dubbed ‘First Strike’ and will take place between Thursday, December 7 and Sunday, December 11, 2023. As Eve Online is an MMORPG, you’ll gain access to Vanguard through the launcher once the alpha is live, and if you’re an active Omega subscriber.

As Eve Online is a free-to-play game, the monthly Omega subscription is what longtime fans use to get even more out of the game. You get access to all in-game ships, double your skill training speed, have access to the entire skill tree, have lower taxes on some jobs, and just have better access to the overall game. As mentioned, you’ll need to be a subscriber to play the Eve Vanguard alpha next month.

Eve Online Vanguard alpha

You can play Eve Vanguard solo or in co-op, and while it will remain a separate experience to Online there will be “interconnected gameplay” between the two.

Vanguard isn’t all that’s new though, as Eve Online’s Havoc expansion has got a free patch today, too. It lifts restrictions on Evermark trading, adds dynamic in-game music, has a slew of quality-of-life improvements for Corporation Projects, and a whole lot more.

You can learn more about the patch here, while signing up for and learning more about Vanguard here as well.

With December around the corner, new players have a lot to catch up on with Eve, so we’ve put together both the best Eve Online beginner tips and the essential Eve Online system requirements, both of which will help you get to grips with the MMO.

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