Warring capsuleers,
The Cradle of War expansion launches on 9 June, bringing Military Campaigns, four new command carriers, four new navy destroyers, titles and achievements, starter space in Exordium, and a new epic arc. This In Focus blog dives what’s coming, and you can tune into the live streams on 27 and 28 May to get even more details.
Cradle of War introduces Military Campaigns, a new way for capsuleers to impact empires' strategic goals. These campaigns run for several months and unfold through multiple objectives, some of which will introduce new sites and encounters across New Eden.
Every pilot can contribute, regardless of playstyle. Mine, manufacture, run missions, hack, capture Factional Warfare complexes, fight other capsuleers, and complete objectives for your chosen empire. Your actions will earn you ISK, Loyalty Points, and standings, without costing you standings with the opposing faction.
The stakes are lasting. If a campaign succeeds, the faction and its supporters can gain temporary localized bonuses as well as permanent benefits such as new stargate connections and visible marks of victory in New Eden. Failure matters too. A lost campaign may leave scars, shift advantages to enemies, and change the cluster in ways that will be remembered.
New seasonal mining and hacking sites will appear in highsec, as well as new time-limited Factional Warfare complexes:
Three-pilot sites for battlecruisers and below with a large amount of Victory Points but also a slower respawn time, plus a bonus to skill level on all battlecruiser hulls.
Complexes for Tech III destroyers and below, where random effects are applied to everyone upon entry, ensuring that each encounter is different (and a bit chaotic).
Interceptor-only sites with a 10 minute capture timer.
Tech I attack and combat frigate sites for a single pilot, with a 5 minute capture timer and a fast respawn rate.
Furthermore, expect balancing changes to battlefield rewards focus more on lootable items instead of flat LP payouts, so players who actively do the work on the control points and kill the NPCs will be able to collect most of the rewards from the site.
Progress is tracked through a new Theaters of War dashboard showing each campaign’s goals, objectives, live progress, and your personal contribution. The dashboard displays Factional Warfare progress and the locations of pirate FOBs and military campaign achievements. It also serves as a hub for navigating all war-related dashboards, from Factional Warfare to insurgencies and enlistment, as well as military campaigns.
Objectives will be released gradually, so it’s never too late to jump in and there’s always something new to take on. Personal contribution limits ensure the responsibility for bringing glory to your faction is shared among many capsuleers. In the Upcoming tab, you can get a preview of what’s on the horizon, and when scheduled objectives will become available.
There are four empire campaigns coming in Cradle of War, one for each of the great powers.
In The Blessed Exchange, the Amarr Empire attempts to turn chaos into opportunity. Contribute to the establishment of the Deaconry of Economic Oversight Office (DEOO), at Amarr VIII. If the campaign is successful, the Empire promises to significantly reduce taxes and brokerage fees at that station.
In The State Corridor Initiative, the Caldari aim to strengthen their direct stargate routes. You can help them build a stargate from Black Rise to Syndicate, solidifying their sphere of influence, and trying to bring the Intaki Syndicate to heel.
The Starkmanir Restoration is a rallying cry for the Minmatar tribes to reclaim sovereignty of Arzad and Ezzara, systems that were stolen by the Amarr many centuries ago. They also hope to recover ancient knowledge that will help reveal Phased Fields in Minmatar highsec systems.
In Operation Rogue Edge, the Gallente aim to master Rogue Drone technologies that strengthen their military logistics, as well as reducing the jumps between Dodixie and Intaki to 6 instead of 10. If successful, there is also a push to develop a new low-waste variant of the Excavator drone.
Their success depends entirely on you. Vote with your cannons, analyzers, or mining lasers. Your actions will leave a lasting impact.
Four new Tech II command carriers are entering the fray:
The Salvation is the backbone of the fleet, reinforcing allies with armor and battlefield coordination while draining its enemies of strength. This turns smaller fleets into something far greater than the sum of their parts.
The Simurgh is a mobile command center which strengthens shields, enhances fleet awareness and disrupts enemy systems through electronic warfare. It brings order and control to even the most chaotic battlefields.
The Gaia brings precision and pressure into the fight. Enhancing mobility and coordination while locking enemies in place and forcing engagements on your terms, it is built for commanders who dictate the flow of the fight.
The Ymir is built around speed, adaptability, and survival. It boosts fleet resilience and maneuverability while slowing enemies and creating openings in the chaos with their Stasis Web fighters. Designed for fleets that fight fast… and fight together!
These are capital-scale command platforms, built to become the core around which major fleets operate. Command destroyers serve small engagements. Command ships anchor mid-sized fleets. Command carriers are the next step: flagships designed to project powerful fleet support into some of the most consequential fights in EVE Online.
Command carriers specialize in utility over raw damage. Each hull can fit up to three command burst modules and brings the strongest boosts available in the game, amplifying fleet performance through armor, shield, skirmish, and information effects. They also improve on the support fighter role of Tech I carriers, offering greater range and effectiveness, with up to four flights of support fighters for control, disruption, and battlefield command.
Following feedback after Fanfest, these ships have already received balance updates. They have been strengthened, made quicker to jump away with their fleet through faster spool times for the Capital Micro Jump Drive Field Generator and Capital Micro Jump Drive, and adjusted through slot layout changes, including additional high slot options on some hulls.
Cradle of War also brings four new faction navy destroyers to New Eden, giving capsuleers fast, affordable, and effective hulls that can make an immediate impact in PvE, PvP, and Factional Warfare.
The Dragoon Navy Issue combines energy warfare, drones, lasers, and missiles, bringing elements of the Dragoon and the Armageddon Navy Issue into a smaller, sharper package.
The Corax Navy Issue builds on the strengths of the Corax with rockets, light missiles, and five mid-slots, giving Caldari pilots strong fitting flexibility and battlefield control.
The Algos Navy Issue draws inspiration from the Myrmidon Navy Issue, leaning into drone strength, hybrid turrets, stasis webifier drones, and an additional low slot.
The Talwar Fleet Issue brings a Matari twist to the navy destroyer line, combining elements of the Talwar and the Breacher with shield booster bonuses, missiles, a utility high slot, and an additional mid slot over the base Talwar.
These ships are quick to train into and accessible early, making them strong options for new capsuleers while adding more variety to one of the most popular ship classes in Factional Warfare.
Every capsuleer’s story is unique, and with titles and achievements you can show it off.
A new achievements interface gives you goals to pursue, lets you track progress, and allows you to pin and track the achievements you are working toward.
Most achievements are tied to regular gameplay, so the things you already do in New Eden can help define your reputation. Completing achievements can unlock rewards, including Skill Points at launch, with more rewards planned for future expansions.
Achievements also unlock titles you can display across New Eden. PvP pilots can become Pod Breakers. Explorers can earn the Hacktivist title. Traders can become Market Tycoons.
For those whose greatest legacy is repeated destruction, the Ship Happens achievement unlocks the Meat Popsicle title, because even (or maybe especially) your greatest losses deserve recognition.
Your victories matter. Your disasters matter. Now you can show them off.
Exordium is a new region that will prepare rookies to take their first steps into New Eden. It brings all new capsuleers together into one shared PvP-free area, where they can sharpen their skills and connect with fellow rookies as they master the basics of New Eden.
This starter space is also where rookies can connect with mentors or recruiters from the wider community. Marked as 1.0 security space, and as you explore, UI cues and tooltips explain the differences between starter space (1.0), highsec (0.5-0.9), lowsec (0.1-0.4), and nullsec (0.0 and below).
PvP is blocked, giving new pilots room to train and build confidence without immediately facing capsuleer combat. This safety brings its own limits as well. Rewards are lower, starter-tier ore has been added, and activities such as missions, market transactions, NPC bounties, and industry jobs include safety taxes or adjusted payouts.
The region includes curated content designed for new pilots, including, hacking sites, combat anomalies, mining, lower-level missions, Homefront Operations and a variety of Military Campaign objectives. Rookies will be able to explore what EVE offers without wandering into content far beyond their current capabilities.
Exordium is also a living part of New Eden. Its hub system creates opportunities for trade, industry, recruitment, and mentorship. Corporations can use Freelance Jobs to recruit new capsuleers, offer guidance, and build the next generation of pilots.
The new Epic Arc, Visions of Greatness, lets capsuleers relive the events that shaped the empires of New Eden.
Through hyper-real simulations, you will step into four pivotal moments from the past. These are visions of history, officially sanctioned by the empires, though some may call them propaganda. The events are real, but the perspective may be a bit less than neutral.
You will defend civilians during the Caldari Prime Breakout, fight through the Battle of Pator, stand beside a dreadnought at the Golgothan Fields, and take part in the Liberation of Intaki. For many pilots, this may be their first time fighting alongside a capital ship. For others, it will be a new way to understand the conflicts they have been flying through for years.
Even veteran capsuleers may not know every side of these stories. In Visions of Greatness, you do not just learn the history of New Eden. You live it.
Cradle of War is about choice, consequence, and legacy. The empires are moving. Their wars are expanding. Their histories are being retold. Their fleets being reforged.
On 9 June, jump into military campaigns, fly new ships, display your reputation, and welcome the next generation of capsuleers.
Make sure you tune into the upcoming livestreams, diving even deeper into what’s coming. On 27 May at 16:00 UTC, get all the minute details on the new starter space, as well as the titles and achievements. Then on 28 May at 16:00 UTC, you’ll get the nitty gritty about Military Campaigns and the new ships coming with Cradle of War.
Get ready to turn the tide of history.