CCP Games’ live events are few. The last large-scale event staged was the Battle for Caldari Prime, back in March 2013. Approximately 3000 players took part in that event, which ended with the destruction of the Shiigeru, a Caldari titan.
CCP Games recently announced another upcoming live event, one that may very well dwarf the participation seen during the Battle of Caldari Prime. This has “unprecedented” written all over it. The four empires — Amarr, Caldari, Gallente, and Minmatar — working together against a common and mysterious threat:
“Acting on behalf of the navies for the Amarr Empire, Caldari State, Gallente Federation, and Minmatar Republic, CONCORD has put out a one-time call for capsuleers to provide backup on a “massive, sustained assault on high-priority targets”. Kilkkuken Mallen, Chief Intelligence Operative for CONCORD, said, “We are currently unable to provide details on the target, as this would represent a significant security risk in the operation. However, this threat is considered extremely high to all law-abiding citizens of New Eden.”
On November 7th 2013, all capsuleers are asked to report to one of two rally points, the systems of Sarum Prime and Meves. They will be formed into racial fleets, and are set to depart at 18:50 UTC.
Whereas the target is unknown, the destination might not be. Some claim that this unprecedented level of cooperation between the four empires is the result of a mysterious explosion that occurred in the Syndicate region on November 5th. A destination somewhere within Syndicate may be a very strong possibility.
Others claim that this might be an action against the Sansha’s Nation in order to end their incursions into empire space. From a purely gameplay standpoint, that seems highly unlikely. Incursions are a major source of PvE content and income for players in EVE Online, and their removal would cause a great deal of player dissatisfaction.
Whatever the target might be, this is looking to be one of the more involved and popular live events in EVE Online history. So much so, that CONCORD has issued some strange and enigmatic warnings:
“Capsuleers will not be required, and quite possibly not allowed, to intervene [after the assault]. Moreover, we ask that capsuleers refrain from interacting with, or taking, any elements that might be set adrift in space during the course of this assault.”
If you’re a EVE Online player, be sure to be either the Sarum Prime or Meves systems well before the 18:50 UTC departure.
Published: Nov 7, 2013 12:30 am