Capsuleers, 

Something is shifting in the fabric of New Eden and Anoikis. Strange changes are beginning to make themselves felt, their cause still unclear, and even the technology capsuleers have relied on for years is struggling to keep pace. 

The Cradle of War Major Update arrives on 22 September, bringing upheaval to some long-established parts of life in New Eden. Ansiblex jump bridges are changing significantly, introducing new limits on how alliances project their forces across nullsec. Pirate Insurgencies will become faster and more dynamic, Class 1 to Class 3 wormhole combat sites are being modernized, and further changes are coming to Pochven, ship balance, and more. 

Many of these changes have been informed directly by constructive feedback from capsuleers, including conversations with the Council of Stellar Management (CSM), Factional Warfare Parliament, Wormhole UN, and other communities across New Eden. 

As strange shifts continue to affect space across New Eden, Upwell engineers have been forced to adapt one of the most important pieces of infrastructure in nullsec. Ansiblex jump bridges will now operate using a capacitor system, changing how alliances can move fleets, and how far they can effectively project from the heart of their territory. 

Each Ansiblex will hold a limited capacitor charge that recharges slowly over time. Every ship passing through the bridge consumes some of that charge, with different ship types carrying different capacitor costs. Once the available charge has been depleted, further traffic will have to wait, while the Ansiblex replenishes its charge. 

Distance matters as well. The capacitor cost of using an Ansiblex increases according to how far the destination sits from the owning alliance’s capital system. Moving forces outward toward the edges of an alliance’s reach becomes progressively more expensive, while returning toward its center costs considerably less. 

Together, these changes introduce a practical operating range for Ansiblex networks. Alliances can still hold and operate across extensive territory, but rapidly moving large fleets across that territory will require more consideration. Fleet composition, distance, available capacitor charge, and the location of an alliance’s capital system will all play a part. 

Access to the network is also becoming more restricted. Ansiblexes will carry subcapital ships, and their use will be limited to capsuleers belonging to the alliance that owns them. Coalition allies will therefore need to rely on their own infrastructure or other methods of travel. 

Force projection has been a major topic of discussion in the EVE community for years, particularly for smaller alliances and roaming groups that can find themselves facing fleets mobilized from considerable distances. These changes make the reach of an Ansiblex network easier to anticipate, giving those groups more information about what may be able to reach them, from where, and in what numbers. 

For established nullsec powers, meanwhile, the geography of an alliance and the layout of its infrastructure will carry more weight. The familiar map remains, but the distances across it are about to matter more. 

This is an important step in ongoing work around force projection and sovereignty, with further adjustments planned in future updates. 

Pirate Insurgencies are also changing, with shorter conflicts, faster expansion, and greater control over how corruption spreads from system to system. 

Capsuleers pushing corruption will have more opportunity to decide where an Insurgency goes next. Concentrate efforts on a particular system, push toward highsec, or use the geography of the warzone to close off important routes. Those fighting to suppress an Insurgency will have greater influence over its direction too, creating a more active contest over where the fighting moves next. 

Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) are receiving changes to their reinforcement cycle as part of that shift. The cycle will be shorter, encouraging fleets to contest and ultimately destroy the FOB rather than keeping it in reinforcement while surrounding sites remain active. 

Rewards are changing alongside this. Payouts for the Ice Refinery Heist and Mining Op Ambush sites will be reduced, while a greater share of the overall rewards will come from winning the Insurgency itself, putting more emphasis on pushing the conflict toward a conclusion. 

There will also be a new battlefield to contest. A new site aimed at battlecruisers will begin appearing in Insurgency systems at corruption stage two and above. Based on the battlecruiser Factional Warfare site introduced with Cradle of War, it includes the same powerful battlecruiser bonus, giving pilots attributes equivalent to another skill level while inside the site. 

These changes have been shaped in part by extensive feedback from the FW Parliament community and the CSM, as Pirate Insurgencies continue to evolve around the way capsuleers actually engage with them. 

Class 1 to Class 3 wormhole combat sites are getting a comprehensive overhaul, bringing some of the oldest PvE encounters in Anoikis closer to modern EVE Online standards. 

NPC behavior is being updated across these sites, including more intelligent use of electronic warfare and the ability for capsuleers to use energy neutralization against their opponents. Objectives will now appear through the info panel, giving pilots clearer information about their progress through an encounter. 

The sites themselves are also being cleaned up visually. Outdated asteroids will be replaced by newer models, while the recurring pop-up that currently appears when warping into these sites will be replaced by a one-time transmission. 

This modernization begins with Class 1 to Class 3 sites, and feedback from the pilots flying these sites will help inform how combat sites elsewhere in Anoikis evolve from here. 

Over the summer, the Rampant Drone Fabricator was introduced to wormhole space, and we've been amazed at the creativity you have shown, from the first group to best level 100, the tactics you're employing to master speed-runs, and even the amazing stories of fights breaking out in these sites. A few changes are coming based on your feedback to keep them rewarding and fun! 

After the major update, these sites will provide more Fabricator Data, while the Pochven Loyalty Point (LP) Store will begin accepting that data in exchange for new rewards. 

Among them are four new mutaplasmids for drone support modules that previously had no corresponding mutaplasmids, creating new opportunities to experiment with those modules. A new Hybrid Drone skill book will also be available exclusively through the Pochven LP Store, granting hybrid drones a 3% damage bonus per level and allowing trained drone pilots to push their performance further. 

Quality-of-life adjustments to the Rampant Drone Fabricator will make the site smoother to run as well, including changes that make it easier to incorporate interdictors into fleet compositions. 

Together, these changes give Fabricator Data a new purpose and put more of the site's value into rewards that capsuleers can use, trade, and build around. 

Historically the Observatory Flashpoints in Pocvhen have been the main driver for both income and conflict. There are more options now, so we're making some adjustments. 

Vigilance Points will allow fleets of up to 12 pilots, increased from 10, opening them to a wider range of fleet compositions and increasing the available payout accordingly.  

Observatory Flashpoints will move in the opposite direction, with the maximum fleet size reducing from 15 to 12. Fleets will need to find efficient compositions that can handle the encounter with fewer pilots, increasing the rewards available to each successful member of the fleet. 

Further iterations will also be made to aspects of intra-Pochven wormholes, extra-Pochven wormholes, and Roaming NPC fleets are also being updated, with more groups moving through the region and improvements to their behavior. 

A wider balance pass accompanies these changes, with several ship classes receiving improvements. 

Marauders and black ops battleships will have their mass reduced, alongside adjustments to agility. The lower mass will be particularly significant in wormhole space, allowing these powerful hulls to pass through wormholes with less impact on their available mass. 

Heavy assault cruisers and assault frigates are also receiving changes focused on improving lower-performing hulls. The Ansiblex changes could give smaller, lighter ships another strategic advantage, too, as their lower capacitor costs make them considerably easier to move through a busy jump bridge network.  

The Deimos, Phobos, and Vigilant will regain some range following earlier medium railgun changes that affected those hulls more heavily than intended, while lancer dreadnoughts will receive stronger resistance profiles to improve the survivability of these expensive, specialized ships. 

Industrialists working with Triglavian technology should also take note. The material cost of the Zero-Point Field Manipulator used in the production of the Babaroga is being reduced, with the change expected to lower production costs across Tech II Triglavian ships. 

The first Military Campaigns are approaching their conclusion, so capsuleers taking part still have time to advance their empire's objectives and secure the rewards available before the campaigns end. 

Changes are coming to the AIR Career Program (ACP) as well. The program will migrate to Paragon Services achievements in November, so capsuleers with unfinished ACP tasks should complete them and claim their rewards before the migration takes place. 

Once those tasks become achievements, they can be completed again through the new system, providing another opportunity to progress through them and earn the associated achievement rewards. 

Keeping track of that progress will also become easier. The info panel will be able to track up to five achievements at once, making it much simpler to follow several objectives without repeatedly returning to the achievements interface. While you’ll have to wait until November for the ACP migration, the info panel changes are happening with the Major Update. 

There’s never been a better time to dive into the action than now, and to get started at warp speed and looking the part, you can now save up to 30% on Omega time in the New Eden Store until 20 September, and get free Cold Wind’s Call SKINs in the bargain! 

In addition, you can get up to 1,500 PLEX free with Omega packs in the EVE Store, making this deal even more attractive!  

For capsuleers who have been away from New Eden, 22 September will bring a universe with new strategic considerations and new opportunities to find a place in them. Alliance borders will matter in new ways, Insurgencies will move faster, and familiar territory from nullsec to Anoikis is changing. 

Return to EVE Online[www.eveonline.com] and find out where you fit into the upheaval. 

If you're just catching up, be sure to read parts 1[www.eveonline.com] and 2[www.eveonline.com] of this blog series! The third and final blog in this series is focused on the future. These are early thoughts, some are concepts, others are aspirations. None of it is set in stone, but all of it informs the decisions made today to ultimately achieve our vision of the ultimate science fiction. 

Capsuleers, 

When discussions started about evolving the HUD, it was clear we were touching something that capsuleers have built years, and sometimes decades, of muscle memory around. That is exactly why we wanted to bring you into the process early. 

But before diving into the future we want to take a moment and thank everyone who has joined the conversation, challenged our thinking, shared concerns, and suggested ideas. We started gathering feedback at Fanfest, and it has already helped shape the designs which we shared in the second blog[www.eveonline.com].  

The community response has been really positive overall, which has been great to see. Concerns have been shared around proportional HP, heat and module states, screen space, the minimap, and whether the visual style feels distinctly EVE, along with some great ideas for improving the designs. 

There may not be one solution that works for everyone. That is why customization is an important part of the vision, while combat readability and performance remain top priorities.

(Even the Red Dot guy is on board!) 

The new HUD will be developed through Feature Preview[www.eveonline.com], giving us time to test, learn, and iterate together. This will be a long process, and we will keep listening and adjusting as development progresses. 

The key question is: How can the HUD propel the experience of flying your ship, while bringing you deeper into New Eden? 

The work that’s been shared so far[www.eveonline.com] is about building a strong foundation. Once that foundation is in place, there are several areas we want to dive into next.  

Drones: Today, controlling drones is largely done through a separate window. We want to explore how drones could become a more integrated part of the HUD, making their status and commands feel more connected to flying your ship. 

Damage indicators: Another area for exploration is the way the HUD communicates what is happening to your ship. Knowing your shields are disappearing is useful, but understanding where damage is coming from, what kind of damage you are taking, and which threats need your attention would give you a much clearer picture of a fight.

Movement and navigation:  Approaching, orbiting, keeping at range, aligning and positioning are fundamental to EVE. We want to explore how the HUD can make those actions clearer and more intuitive, while giving experienced pilots the precision they need. 

These are some of the more immediate opportunities. Beyond them, the possibilities get much bigger. 

The Overview is incredibly powerful at indicating what is around you, but there is an opportunity to make space itself a more useful source of information. 

The tactical overlay, ranges, movement, threats, and navigation could all be communicated more directly in space. We also want to explore how interactions can become more contextual, bringing the actions you need closer to the objects you are interacting with, rather than relying as heavily on right-click menus.

The goal is not put more information on screen. Make the space around you easier to read, understand, and interact with. 

No two capsuleers play EVE in quite the same way, and their HUDs should not have to look the same either. 

We want to give you more control over which HUD components you use, where they appear, and how much information they display.  

A corporation could share a recommended setup with new recruits, or an experienced pilot could share their exploration or pvp layout. We see this happen today through various (sometimes challenging) ways, like community fitting, overview settings, and so on. Customization should be more than personal preference; it should be a way capsuleers share knowledge and mastery. 

Looking further ahead, that idea can extend beyond a single customized layout. 

Mining, exploration, logistics, travel and fleet combat all demand very different things of a pilot. Rather than trying to create  one HUD that rules them all, we are also exploring saved multiple layouts and allowing you to switch between them as you need. 

You might have one setup for exploration, another for fleet combat, and another for simply traveling through New Eden, switching between them as your needs change. 

The HUD should adapt to how you play, rather than asking every capsuleer to adapt to the same HUD. 

More capability also creates a challenge: EVE already has an enormous amount of information to absorb. 

We don't want every new capsuleer to encounter all that complexity at once. Instead, we want to explore how the HUD can grow with you. Early on, it can focus on helping you understand what is happening and what you can do. As your experience grows, it can expose greater information, precision, and control.

The goal isn't to remove EVE's complexity. It is to make that complexity easier to approach for new bros, while allowing experienced capsuleers to go deeper than they can today. 

By easing into complexity, there is also an opportunity to allow the HUD to play a more active role in teaching the ropes. 

Players arrive in New Eden already familiar with a visual language built across decades of gaming: danger, direction, range, activation, cooldowns, and other concepts. EVE is unique, but that does not mean everything needs to be learned from scratch. 

We want to use familiar language where it helps, while retaining what makes EVE distinct. As you become more experienced, the HUD can move from guiding you, to becoming a tool, and ultimately an instrument for mastery. 

The HUD can tell you more than the state of your ship. It can help tell you the story of what is happening around it. 

Different places in New Eden have different characteristics, dangers, and opportunities. Entering a battlefield should feel different from traveling through quiet space. Environmental effects, conflicts, and other changes in a system could become something you understand not only through windows and notifications, but through the way your ship presents the world around you.

The HUD can become another way for New Eden to communicate with you, bringing the interface and the universe closer together. 

Ultimately, our ambition goes beyond modernizing an interface. 

We want the HUD to help you see, understand, decide, and act. It should adapt to what you are doing, give you greater control as your mastery grows, and bring you closer to the ship you are flying and the universe around you. 

We don't want the HUD to sit between you and New Eden. We want it to bring you deeper into space. 

There is a long road between this vision and where we are today. Some of these ideas are close enough to explore soon, while others look much further into EVE's future. And, just like the work we have shown throughout this series, where we ultimately take them will be shaped together with you. 

Fly safe,

o7