CCP Games officially unveils plans for a new blockchain game set within the EVE Online universe

March 21, 2023 10:50 AM

For many players, it was probably a matter of when EVE Online developer CCP Games would dip into the blockchain gaming space, not whether, especially since publisher Pearl Abyss cited a blockchain project in a Q3 earnings call and CCP Games itself has been dipping its toe into those waters several times over.

While CCP’s CEO Hilmar Petursson has thus far kept his promise to EVE players that NFT means “Not For Tranquility,” the studio is still tying blockchain to the game’s universe with a new game codenamed Project Awakening, a self-described AAA project that will be set within the space sandbox’s world.

“Since its inception, CCP Games’ vision has been to create virtual worlds more meaningful than real life,” reads a statement from Petursson. “Now, with advancements made within blockchain, we can forge a new universe deeply imbued with our expertise in player agency and autonomy, empowering players to engage in new ways.”

Project Awakening is promising to “leverage smart-contract blockchain technology, focusing on persistence, composability and truly open third-party development to create a new relationship between virtual worlds and players,” none of which actually explains anything about the gameplay itself. Regardless, CCP has already secured $40M in funding and is beginning the process of hiring devs for the game.

We should point out that CCP Games has started and cancelled several game projects before while lauding them as the future of the studio and EVE, so panic might not be advisable. Still, there is certainly some cause for concern at least, if not outright unimpressed looks in CCP’s direction.

We're excited to announce that we have secured $40M financing, led by @a16z, to create a new AAA game within the EVE Universe utilizing blockchain technology.

Learn more here: https://t.co/IZJlPRcZ0z pic.twitter.com/y9cqZKtt2l

— CCP Games (@CCPGames) March 21, 2023