by EVE Online Team1:00pm on Sunday 17th May 2026
Capsuleers,
All good things must come to an end, and Fanfest 2026 has officially been wrapped up.
This year saw the usual amazing presentations, panels, keynotes, and activities, on and off-venue. In addition, attendees donated their blood to the creation of the Capsuleer Edda, and the first annual Creator Awards.
One of the highlights of the EVE Fanfest keynote presentation was the announcement of Cradle of War, coming on 9 June. It introduces Military Campaigns, eight new ships, the first non-PvP region of New Eden, and titles and achievements.
If you missed the Fanfest deep dive into all things Cradle of War, you can catch the replay here:
Some say it’s the highlight of the year. Others say it’s the highlight of the decade. In any case, excitement always runs high for the EVE Keynote, which was kicked off by FC Orca.
Top billing went to the Cradle of War expansion, with other highlights including a deep dive into the Capsuleer Edda, a discussion of the recently announced partnership with Google DeepMind, and a look at the overarching Theaters of War, unfolding over the next three expansions.
The EVE Vanguard keynote introduced Operation Avalon, the first alpha playtest for the game, and an important step toward its always-on release next November. Operation Avalon launches 7 July, and will introduce rebuilt combat, new and challenging enemies, an expanded arsenal, and a deeper risk-and-extraction loop. In addition, FC Collins announced that Military Campaigns will be a part of EVE Vanguard in the near future.
The EVE Frontier keynote announced Cycle 6, which brings modular ships, expanded exploration, new environmental dangers that shape how players move and interact with the Frontier, and much more.
As always, some of our guest speakers stole the show. Guest keynote speaker Paul M. Sutter took us on a life-threatening choose-your-own-adventure journey that taught us How to Die in Space, and Dr. Beth Healey, our other guest keynote presenter, took us on a journey through some of the most hostile environments in the universe.
Among this year’s fantastic player presenters, the Oz dove deep into how politics, patches, and panic make EVE’s markets move, and Warlock Industries walked us through the creation of cinematic content in New Eden
And of course, we were visited by incredible partners like Adrian Bolton from DeepMind and Kevin Boon from Sui, along with Her Excellency, Halla Tómasdóttir, President of Iceland.
Some of the other highlights of Fanfest 2026 included:
The Capsuleer Edda – capsuleers donated their blood to be mixed in with the ink used to commit the epic poem of New Eden to velum.
The Trade Hub had really cool things happening throughout the festival, including the Knitadel, where crafty capsuleers worked from EVE-themed knitting patterns; the Hyper Wheel, which rewarded lucky visitors with some amazing prizes; the Icelandic Gaming Industry showcase, which gave attendees a glimpse into amazing things happening in the local gaming scene; a miniature painting station, where capsuleers could try their hand at painting EVE ships in a real-life SKINR; tattoo booth, silent auction, and more.
Extracurricular activities are always popular at Fanfest, and this year was no exception. Capsuleers went on a multitude of exciting tours, including the famed pub crawl, guided excursions showcasing some of Iceland’s most iconic locations.
The celebrations reached their peak, as usual, at the Party at the Top of the World, where local legends Gus Gus dazzled the dancing crowd of capsuleers with their spectacular
The Creator Awards were hosted for the first time, honoring the capsuleers who keep the lifeblood of New Eden flowing through their creative spirit. This year’s winners are:
Streamer of the Year: Erst
Video Creator of the Year: Lorumerth
Podcast of the Year: The Oz Report
Written Content Creator of the Year: EVE University
New Content Creator of the Year: Warlock Industries
Non-English Creator of the Year: iBeast
Third Party App of the Year: RIFT Intel Fusion Tool
New Developer of the Year: Dexomus Viliana
Polaris Awards: CaldariPrimePonyClub & Rixx Javix
That’s it for now. We look forward to seeing you for next year’s Fanfest. That’s right, the dates are in! Fanfest 2027 will take place on 13-15 May. In fact, tickets are already for sale, and you can take advantage of the early-bird prices right now!
Secure your ticket now!