Pioneering capsuleers,
The future is looking brighter than ever as EVE Online constantly evolves, modernizes, and enhances the player experience. A new EVE launcher is coming, and is ready for testing now, as well as enhancements to the visual experience in New Eden (for a sneak peek join the mass test on Singularity on 13 April at 17:00 UTC).
New Launcher Beta
The relentless pursuit of deepening your immersion in New Eden continues with the unveiling of the newest EVE Launcher, now available in Beta. This is a crucial step forward in our effort to streamline your journey into the heart of EVE Online, creating an intuitive environment that caters to your needs as a pilot. You are invited to dive in and try out the new version by downloading it here.
For MacOS: download here
The new launcher offers a more immersive experience by putting your characters front and center, and offering personalized content, in addition to improving security and performance. The updated launcher also enables automatic updates, faster development, and native support for all operating systems and architectures supported by EVE Online. It also offers a more tailored experience that depends on players' familiarity with the game, with new players getting a simplified version and educational content, while veterans can focus on character management and communication.
Let's take a closer look at what the new EVE Launcher has to offer.
Characters in Focus
Your characters have now taken center stage in the launcher. For each of your accounts, you will see the names and portraits of every pilot under your command. Launching into New Eden will now be faster than ever before. Simply select character and click “Play Now” to launch the game client. You can assign specific characters to launch groups, although this is optional, and you may opt for the Character Selection screen instead. Should you prefer the classic character selection screen, changing it is as simple as opening the settings menu and selecting your preference under Game Client.
Enhanced Support Features
Filing a bug report has never been easier – you can now submit one directly from the launcher, with all pertinent support information attached automatically. Keep in mind that a username is necessary, so you must be logged in before filing a bug report.
For other needs, such as requests from our Customer Support, you can generate a "Support Payload," an archive containing relevant logs, crash dumps, and other valuable data for our investigation. These support functions can be found under Settings -> Tools / Cache.
Opportunities for Growth
The Beta stage provides ample opportunities to refine and enhance various features before their final debut. Most notably:
- Some sections in character info are blurred out or unavailable. They will contain valuable information about your character and the universe and will be populated as the Beta progresses.
- The window size is fixed, but we recognize the importance of being able to resize it and are working to provide a flexible and adaptive window experience in the near future.
- To begin with, the new launcher is only available in English. However, support for additional languages is on the horizon and will be introduced in an upcoming update.
- As the Beta evolves, you will see the addition of features to facilitate the selection of the right pilot for your fleet and help you stay up-to-date with events that happened while you were away.
Working with the Legacy Launcher
When installing the new Beta Launcher, you don't have to remove the legacy EVE Launcher. For those installing the Beta on a system with an existing installation, please consider the following:
- The new installation process requires no input, just give it a few seconds.
- When you open the launcher for the first time, it will pick up your game installation folder, accounts and profiles automatically.
- Avoid having both launchers open simultaneously to prevent the update procedure from corrupting your installation. If it does happen, the launcher will resolve it automatically.
Your Feedback
You have the power to shape the future launcher and what it can do. We will be actively monitoring your feedback, and the final release version may turn out to be quite different from what you see now.
Join us in the EVE Online Discord server in the launcher-beta channel and participate in the official forum thread to share your thoughts and insights. On the forum, you will also find a deeper dive into how the new launcher is built and what makes it tick.
Step Into Shadows
New Eden is about to become even more stunning! A graphical overhaul that will allow for unlimited shadows in scenes is being introduced, and bring a new level of detail to the EVE universe.
Additionally, anti-aliasing will provide smoother edges and vastly reduce "specular aliasing" which manifests itself as pixels which appear to shimmer across frames. This can be especially noticeable on certain ship models and stations, making them appear shinier than they should be. But good news! Improvements are coming to fix this issue and provide a smoother, more visually pleasing experience in EVE Online.
These updates go live on 25 April, but if you want a sneak peek make sure to join the mass test on the Singularity server tomorrow (13 April) at 17:00 UTC.
The future is bright
Experience a more immersive New Eden with the EVE Evolved initiative. Our commitment to enhancing your gameplay means sharper, smoother, and more visually stunning updates that will bring New Eden to life like never before. And don't miss the festivities in May, including the extended Capsuleer Day event with exclusive anniversary-themed rewards, a chance to etch your name in history on the expanded EVE monument and lighting up the sky at the firework bonanza at Jita 4-4 on 6 May. Plus, share your memories with fellow pilots using #eveonline20 on social media. Launch into a brighter future in New Eden.