CCP Games, the developer behind the long-running space MMO EVE Online, has sparked intense backlash from its player community with the announcement of EVE Frontier, a blockchain-based spinoff game.
EVE Frontier is described as an online space survival game with an open, persistent sandbox focused on self-reliance, tactical and emergent gameplay, and third-party development. While that may sound appealing on the surface, it's the inclusion of cryptocurrency and blockchain elements that has ignited fury among EVE Online's dedicated fanbase.
Key features of EVE Frontier include:
- A single-shard server where all players coexist
- Player-driven economy with custom currencies and markets
- Smart Assemblies allowing players to build and program in-game infrastructure
- Blockchain technology enabling players to edit aspects of the game world in real-time
- Cryptocurrency integration for player ownership of items
CCP claims the blockchain tech used is environmentally friendly, consuming similar energy to EVE Online's infrastructure. However, these assurances have done little to placate angry players.
The EVE Online subreddit has been flooded with threads criticizing the announcement, with one popular post pleading: None of us want this crypto slop, this desperate cash grab, this attempt at 'creating something great'... Blockchain and crypto has had its time, and it is passed. Please. I beg of you. Don't destroy this amazing game you have created.
Similar sentiments have spread across Twitter and the official EVE forums, with players dismissing Frontier as blockchain bullshit and a desperate cash grab. Many fear it could tarnish or even destroy the EVE Online brand they've grown to love over the past 20 years.
CCP faces an uphill battle in winning over its existing playerbase. The company's community team is encouraging skeptics to reserve judgment until they can try the game, but the overwhelmingly negative initial response suggests EVE Frontier may struggle to find an audience among EVE veterans.
As the crypto and Web3 hype has faded over the past year, launching a blockchain-focused game in 2023 seems risky. However, CCP appears committed to the project for now, promising more details later this year. Whether EVE Frontier can overcome the intense backlash and prove itself as more than just crypto slop remains to be seen.
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| A mesmerizing cosmic scene representing the tumultuous reaction among EVE Online players to the announcement of EVE Frontier's blockchain integration |