by EVE Vanguard Team4:00pm on Thursday 13th June 2024
Since December, legions of Founders have gone boots-on-the-ground during First Strike playtests and have been instrumental in informing many of the improvements and additions that are coming in the upcoming Solstice event. This marks the biggest update yet to EVE Vanguard and will help propel the development of the ultimate sandbox FPS within the EVE universe forward.
The Solstice event is an amazing opportunity to experience massive updates to EVE Vanguard and shape the future of ground combat in New Eden. From 12:00 UTC on 20 June to 12:00 UTC on 1 July you can descend on a new planet, participate in new industry-focused activities, try out some new gadgets, configure your weapons, and much more as you contribute to the evolution of EVE Vanguard.
A highlight of the massive updates for EVE Vanguard introduced in the Solstice event is the new map, which offers an immersive and stunning, yet hazardous battlefield. This map features unique flora that adds to the exotic atmosphere, as well as polluted waters that present new environmental challenges. Added verticality and more close quarter combat brings a new and different experience for new and returning warclones. You'll encounter mysterious wreckage, possible remnants of an old facility, providing intriguing exploration opportunities. Navigating the cliffs will test your agility and tactical planning, while the Skyhook connects the ground combat to space, creating a seamless link between EVE Vanguard and EVE Online.
Another huge addition is adaptive weaponry, allowing you to customize your arsenal with various chipsets. You can mix and match these chipsets to create unique configurations for your weapons, and switch between these modes during gameplay sessions. Additionally, session-to-session persistence has been added, enabling you to take items with you upon extraction. This includes chipsets, which can be used to modify your weapons and be brought back in subsequent deployments, and other items which will be converted to credits.
The Solstice event will feature new industry focused activities and objectives offering new ways to test your valor, as well as cool new gadgets to deepen your planetside experience.
Secured salvage sites – massive loot deposits protected by shield barriers that you must hack through.
Mining rights – an open contract that will have you discovering anchor points around naturally occurring resources on the map, calling down a mining vehicle once activated.
You can use your handheld mining laser to break into escape pods jettisoned around the map for valuable loot.
Proximity mines, a motion scanner, and more gadgets will help you complete activities and contracts.
Lastly, new weapon SKINs are being introduced, providing a powerful Minmatar look for the default weapon, inspired by Vanguard’s predecessor shooter, DUST 514, as well as special SKINs for participants of previous events, themed around the ongoing struggle between corruption and suppression in New Eden.
Everyone who participated in the First Strike December event will receive the Arkombine gun SKIN, which is a nod to the ongoing pirate uprisings happening in New Eden now, as well as a reference to the legions of DUST mercenaries who defected and joined the Arkombine pirate organization, years ago.
Those who finished at least four out of six basic event challenges over the course of the First Strike monthly playtests will get the EDENCOM SKIN, representing the authorities fighting for suppression around the cluster.
The community has played a crucial role in shaping EVE Vanguard. Thanks to feedback from our Founders, several significant improvements have been made, including an increased amount of loot available in crates dropped upon death, ensuring more valuable items for you to claim. Once these crates are empty, they will now despawn to keep the battlefield clean. The visibility of loot crates has also been enhanced, making them easier to spot during intense combat situations.
Key bindings can now be remapped, and custom key bindings will be retained between sessions, so you can set it to suit your personal style. Menus and user interfaces have seen significant enhancements, offering a smoother and more intuitive experience. Camera movements have been refined for better gameplay immersion, and you can now sprint directly from a crouching start, improving your mobility and tactical options on the field.
The Solstice event is an exclusive opportunity to be an integral part of building the ultimate shooter experience within the EVE Universe. By participating in this playtest, you not only get to try an early build of EVE Vanguard, provide valuable feedback, and earn a wealth of rewards for your participation, but you have the chance to shape the game from the ground level, making your mark in the ongoing development process. Rewards are tied to achievements and in-game activities, so your dedication and skills will be well-compensated. Vanguard who participate in the Solstice event have the chance to earn amazing rewards including:
Algos Arkombine Arisen SKIN for Vanguard who harvest 80 units of reactive alloy and craft 900 units of energy ammo.
Exequror Navy Issue Arkombine Arisen SKIN for Vanguard who get 25 kills with each firing mode: semi-auto, burst fire and full auto firing.
Up to 3,000 PLEX for Vanguard who reach the top 10 leaderboard for the highest number of deployments with chipsets banked or extracted, and at least one completed contract.
Leaderboard Rank | PLEX Reward |
1 | 3,000 |
2 | 2,000 |
3 | 1,500 |
4-5 | 1,000 |
6-10 | 500 |
In addition, everyone who plays for at least one hour with at least one deployment will receive a Solstice gun SKIN at a later date. More details about this skin will be revealed via the new Vanguard Discord server.
Your efforts on the combat zone will not go unnoticed, and these rewards will serve as a testament to your bravery and skill.
The Solstice event is open to all Omega players, and now is the perfect time to upgrade if you haven’t already. Until 20 June, you can claim a free 7-day Omega offer as a part of the celebrations for the Equinox expansion. If you want to use that offer to join Solstice, you must claim it no later than 20 June. After that, until 1 July, you can purchase the Warclone Omega Bundle to receive 14 days of Omega along with exclusive SKINs for the Barghest Arkombine Arisen and Moros Navy Issue Arkombine Arisen.
As an Omega clone, all you have to do is install EVE Vanguard on 19 June, and you’ll be ready for the battlefield as soon as the Solstice event kicks off.
Stay up to date on all the latest information about EVE Vanguard and the Solstice event through upcoming live streams. Join the developer stream at 14:00 on Thursday 20 June for a deep dive into the Solstice event and the new additions to EVE Vanguard. The Live2Feet stream at 14:00 UTC on Friday 21 June will showcase all the new updates in action, so don’t miss that. Lastly make sure to join the new Vanguard Discord server for a live Q&A session at 14:00 UTC on Thursday 27 June.
Join the new Vanguard Discord server to get direct access to developers, details about upcoming events, and the continuing chance to impact and shape the direction for EVE Vanguard.