Capsuleers, 

The Fractured Skies expansion arrives on 10 November, ushering in a new era for Factional Warfare and planetary conflict, launching a period of new content, events, and developments that unfold over the coming months. 

In this second expansion of the Theaters of War trilogy, the four empires are in direct competition as a new age of warfare approaches. 

As they roll out the first ever navy attack battlecruisers and intensify their efforts to unlock the secrets of Drifter technology, they are simultaneously vying for the support of fresh and veteran capsuleers.  

The Empires have been building behemoth, devastating Conquest Engines, capable of asserting control over entire star systems within the Factional Warfare warzones. For now, a peace brokered by CONCORD holds between them, but as tensions rise over the next several weeks, fractures are expected to appear. When the pact breaks, Factional Warfare changes. 

Until then, it is vital for capsuleers to mobilize and prepare for the inevitability of Conquests. Every campaign objective completed, every capsuleer recruited, and every connection with old allies reignited strengthens your chosen empire. 

Start mobilizing your forces on day one, recruiting new capsuleers who will have access to free pre-fitted AIR Academy ships, bolster your forces with Navy Attack Battlecruisers, ramp up your firepower with synchronizer rigs, experience the new HUD, unlock bonuses and advantages in new military campaigns, take the fight to the ground as EVE Vanguard goes into 24/7 paid alpha, allowing your actions on the ground to influence what happens in space, and more.

Bring More Firepower 

The conflict is escalating, and every empire is arming up. Four new navy attack battlecruisers enter the fight in November, each bringing different strengths to the battlefield. If you need both mobility and firepower, these ships have it! 

• The Naga Navy Issue trades hybrid weapons for cruise missiles and torpedoes. You asked for a missile Naga, here it is.  

• The Tornado Fleet Issue pushes projectile firepower further and gets harder to hit under microwarpdrive.  

• The Oracle Navy Issue reaches farther with improved optimal range,  

• The Talos Navy Issue gains the mobility and falloff to stay dangerous on the move. 

All four are available exclusively through Factional Warfare LP stores. 

Attack battlecruisers have always lived on the edge between overwhelming firepower and vulnerability. These Navy variants create new opportunities for capsuleers willing to exploit that balance, particularly when smaller forces need to hit above their weight. 

Synchronized Killing 

Fractured Skies introduces synchronizer rigs. Each one grows stronger with every matching faction module you fit, so building more deeply around one faction’s technology pays off. 

Nine Synchronizer sets cover the four empires and five pirate factions, creating new room for fitting experimentation, theorycrafting, and faction-focused builds. Pirate Synchronizers bring bonuses that no existing rig offers, but come with heavier drawbacks. 

The stronger your arsenal becomes, the more options you have when the fight escalates.

Fight for the Advantage 

Your efforts in the first Military Campaigns paid off. You helped all four Empires complete them, and the effects will be live in November. Each empire realized different goals, from new stargates, reduced Taxes & Broker Fees, to the discovery of phased fields in Minmatar highsec space.

Tensions continue to escalate, and the Empires turn to you once more.  

As new opportunities emerge in the race for Drifter Technology, all four empires see a chance to seize the advantage. They are accelerating their war preparations, and they need you.  

Each empire sets out on a flash Military Campaign at launch, with four campaign objectives spanning exploration, PvE, PvP, and industry. Run activities to collect faction-specific items, deliver them to traders at your chosen empire’s headquarters to progress the campaign while earning personal rewards and achievements along the way. 

Every completed campaign objective unlocks a bonus for that empire, and the first of each opposing rival faction to complete all their objectives earns special command carrier reinforcements in an upcoming empire showdown. 

From 5 January, those bonuses become active across designated faction systems, strengthening capsuleers operating within them as the next stage of the conflict begins. 

The Empires Will Brawl 

Later in January, the four empires clash in a major battle over access to the Drifter technology and they call on all capsuleers to help. This will be an in-game community event that offers everyone the chance to experience a real battle with real stakes. The clash takes place in lowsec, so fly carefully. 

The empire that ultimately prevails gains access to an exclusive Drifter module through its LP store for a limited time. 

By then, every objective completed, every capsuleer recruited, and every advantage secured will have helped shape the forces entering the battle. 

And what follows demands even more.

Dominate on the Ground, Shape the War in Space 

The fight also extends from space to the surface. 

EVE Vanguard becomes playable 24/7 as a paid Alpha on 10 November alongside Fractured Skies, establishing a permanent connection between the battles on the ground and the war in EVE Online. 

As Vanguard, warclones complete contracts and expeditions, their combined efforts unlocking additional combat, hacking, and mining sites across the four empires’ highsec and lowsec space. Capsuleers can enter these sites to secure valuable rewards, including items that contribute to Military Campaigns. This connection will be familiar to those who participated in Operation Nemesis and Operation Avalon, the most recent playtest and crossover event.  

EVE Vanguard’s November update expands the game significantly with three new maps with different security levels, an improved new-player journey, deeper weapon progression, new equipment, and a refreshed combat experience. 

• High Castle, the highsec area, offers a siege-like fortress where you can operate without PvP damage. Deploy solo or with a squad to tackle shared objectives.  

• Vorago, the lowsec battleground, takes you deep into a hostile chasm, where enemy forces and rival warclones stand between you and a successful extraction. Fight for your haul and try to make it out alive.  

• The Vault, the nullsec map, pits three squads of three against one another in a deadly PvP labyrinth whose layout changes between deployments. Fight to extract with rare Weapon Cores used to craft high-tier weapons. Three squads go in, and only one makes it out with the prize. 

As you gain experience with a certain weapon family on the battlefield, you’ll earn Weapon Telemetry, unlocking stronger variants and new loadout options. The Gallente BR-60 also joins the expanding Vanguard arsenal. 

For a deeper dive, watch the EVE Vanguard Alpha News and Studio Update for a briefing from the team on November’s new battlegrounds, deeper progression, and the next chapter of ground warfare in New Eden. 

From 10 November, all players can purchase Founder’s Access to join the Alpha through the EVE launcher. Stay tuned for more details on pricing and how to get access and get ready to live out your mercenary fantasy on the ground. 

Take on contracts for the four empires, advance your warclone, and help fuel the wider struggle across New Eden.

Build Your Ranks 

Every dominant fleet starts somewhere.  

Cradle of War introduced Starter Space to get new pilots ready, and Fractured Skies adds 13 free, pre-fitted AIR Academy ships covering combat, exploration, and mining. 

Pick any ship and warp into the action. You learn by doing, no fitting knowledge needed or ISK at risk. Try different ships and find what you love by flying. Academy ships stay inside Starter Space. When one clicks, you can buy a standard version and fitting from the market and take it into the rest of New Eden. 

Fly now. Fit later. 

The AIR Career Program moves into the Achievements system, combining early progress with the same system that follows capsuleers’ accomplishments throughout the journey across New Eden. At the same time, all current progress will be reset, meaning all capsuleers can complete it again, for rewards and achievements. 

New achievements cover more activities and playstyles, so you earn recognition for what you already love. 

Dozens of the most popular level one security missions get a visual update and a cleaner overview. You see what to focus on and get it done. 

Veterans, this is your moment to bring new blood into New Eden and to reconnect with the people you used to fly with. You’ll want them by your side for what’s coming.

A New Way to Fly

A dominant fleet also needs a modern way to pilot its ships. The first phase of the updated heads-up display (HUD), is coming in November. Available through Feature Preview, the new HUD improves clarity around the information you depend on the most in combat, while preserving the depth and control you expect. 

• Shield, armor, and hull status will be clearer around the capacitor.  

• Energy gain and loss are easier to track. 

• Heat indicators will sit alongside their respective module racks.

• Speed controls and utility functions are reorganized to make important information easier to find when the pressure is on. 

• Module activation and cycle feedback improvements show what your ship is doing at a glance. 

Your feedback has already shaped it and will continue to shape it. The new HUD remains optional for the foreseeable future. We are taking the time to build it right, and to build it with you. Fractured Skies also brings further upgrades throughout New Eden, including lighting and vfx updates and several Quality of Life improvements. 

The Inevitable Conquest 

The clash between the four empires is bound to come to a head, but there’s still time to plan. They have been developing dangerous, massive Conquest Engines capable of asserting control over entire systems within the Factional Warfare warzones. 

CONCORD has brokered a pact prohibiting their use as instruments of aggression. 

For now, that pact holds. This pact cannot hold forever, and sources indicate that cracks are already appearing in the tenuous peace agreements. It may only be a matter of time before the Conquest Engines are deployed for real, marking the beginning of Conquests and a change to Factional Warfare. 

This is a massive update, coming later in the expansion cycle, giving capsuleers time to prepare for success. 

November will bring engaging narrative and content unfolding over several weeks, urging capsuleers to begin preparing for the first Conquest, coming online in February. 

Sometimes we get extra-excited about a new feature, and this is one of those times! I have no doubt that Conquests will change the way Factional Warfare is played, but sometimes you need a little more time to cook. Your patience will be rewarded with a higher-quality new feature as a new development strategy is explored.

-FC Okami 

Conquests are seasonal Factional Warfare conflicts with a clear endpoint and a winner. Throughout each Conquest, enlisted capsuleers complete objectives and fight over Directives issued by their faction, earning rewards while building Conquest Power for their side. 

Each Directive creates a battle that can be won (and lost). Capture a system. Hold territory against the clock. Complete objectives before your opponent. 

Every victory matters, because the Conquest Power earned throughout the season provides advantages when the conflict reaches its final Siege. 

There, each opposing faction brings their behemoth Conquest Engines online. Your job is to protect yours and destroy theirs. 

The first side to bring down the opposing Conquest Engine wins the Conquest and leaves a permanent mark on the history of New Eden as monuments will be erected in your honor. 

EVE Vanguard also becomes a more integral part of this struggle, with expeditions contributing Conquest Power to their chosen side from February onward. 

There is time before that fight begins. Use it. 

Rally Your Forces 

Bring the old crew back together. Recruit new capsuleers. Master new ships. Build new doctrines. Unlock advantages. Find the pilots you want beside you when the first Conquest reaches its zenith.  

The path to victory begins with Fractured Skies on 10 November. 

Your enemies will be ready. Will you? 

See you in space.