EVE Vanguard stops being a series of short playtests on Tuesday, November 10. Fenris Creations, the studio formerly known as CCP Games, is opening the extraction-adventure shooter as a live, 24/7 paid alpha through the EVE Launcher on PC, on the same day EVE Online's Fractured Skies expansion begins a new chapter of the empire war.
For the first time, what happens on the ground and what happens in space will be permanently connected. Contracts completed in Vanguard will spawn extra campaign sites for EVE Online pilots, and those sites feed into the two-month Military Campaigns that open with Fractured Skies. This guide covers the start time, Founder's Pack prices, what is in the alpha, how the link to EVE Online works and what remains on the roadmap.
When Does the EVE Vanguard 24/7 Alpha Start?
According to Fenris Creations' October 29 Founder's Pack announcement, the alpha opens on November 10, 2026, at 11:00 UTC. That converts to:
- 5:00 a.m. CT (Central Time) on November 10
- 6:00 a.m. ET and 3:00 a.m. PT on November 10
- 11:00 GMT in the UK and 12:00 CET in central Europe
The alpha is still an alpha. Game director Scott Davis put it plainly in the October announcement: "This is still an alpha (bugs included), and there is a lot for us to build." Expect balance changes, server work and features arriving in stages.
How Do You Get Into the Alpha?
Access requires a Founder's Pack, sold through the official store. Each pack comes with a Resonant Key code that grants permanent access to Vanguard, carried through to full release. The alpha itself runs only through the EVE Launcher on PC.
Two points catch out existing EVE players:
- Omega does not include Vanguard. The FAQ states that Omega time in EVE Online does not grant access. A Founder's Pack is required even for longtime subscribers.
- Steam is not the alpha platform. Vanguard is listed on Steam for wishlists and future playtests, but the paid alpha is exclusive to the EVE Launcher until the planned Steam Early Access release in Q3 2027.
EVE Vanguard Founder's Pack Prices and Contents
Every tier includes the same core: a Resonant Key for permanent access, plus a Deployment-Ready Bundle of weapons, grenades and gear. Higher tiers add cosmetics, blueprints and community extras.
| Pack | Price | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Resonant Pack | $15 | Permanent access, Deployment-Ready Bundle, Keshik M247 Tier-2 blueprint, support crafter program blueprint |
| Contraband Packs (four versions) | $30 each | Access, a mercenary corporation skin line for all four weapons, an empire weapon charm and a weapon or equipment blueprint |
| Fulcrum Pack | $100 | Access, all 16 weapon skins, all four faction emblems, all faction blueprints and the Banshee M247 faction weapon |
| Legacy Pack | $514 | Everything in Fulcrum, an Avalon weapon emblem, VIP Discord access, a video call with developers, the player's name in the lore and an EVE Fanfest 2027 ticket |
The four Contraband Packs draw on the mercenary corporations Circle of Huskarl, Crux Special Tasks Group, Amarr Templars and Zumari Force Projection. Their differences are cosmetic and blueprint-based, so the choice comes down to which corporation's style appeals.
The Banshee M247 in the Fulcrum Pack is the one item Fenris describes as available for purchase only during Founder Access. The Legacy Pack's $514 price is a tribute to DUST 514, the 2013 PlayStation 3 shooter that first tied ground combat to EVE Online. Players who already bought a Fanfest 2027 ticket and want the Legacy Pack can claim a refund for the ticket by emailing support with proof of both purchases; the ticket stays valid.
Which Pack Makes Sense?
For most players, the $15 Resonant Pack is the sensible entry point. It carries the same access and the same starter bundle as every other tier, and the extras in higher packs are mainly skins, emblems and additional blueprints. The Fulcrum and Legacy tiers are aimed at players who want to support development or collect the complete cosmetic set from the founder period.
What Is EVE Vanguard?
EVE Vanguard is an in-development extraction-adventure first-person shooter set in New Eden. Players are Warclones, technologically immortal soldiers deployed onto hostile planets to raid enemy sites, recover valuable technology and decide how much to risk before extracting. Between deployments, players return to their Warbarge to craft equipment and prepare loadouts.
The long-term goal, according to Fenris, is to grow Vanguard into a sci-fi MMOFPS with deeper player-driven systems connected to EVE Online. The November alpha is the foundation for that, rather than a feature-complete game.
What Is New in the November Alpha?
The alpha builds on lessons from the July playtest. Speaking to PC Gamer, Davis said, "We had a lot of people bounce off the game pretty hard in July," and added: "I think we'd accidentally created the most hardcore extraction game of all time, because we had some awkward intricacies to how weapon upgrading and healing worked in the game." NPC enemy behavior and the new-player experience are the two biggest areas of improvement since then.
A Proper Onboarding Path
A refreshed tutorial and a series of missions with narrative briefings now introduce life as a Warclone. A new Jobs Board offers short missions that pay out rewards and resources. New players start in a co-op PvE mode before moving on to modes where other players are a threat.
Three New Maps Across Security Levels
The alpha adds three maps alongside the existing Lost Convoy, each tied to one of New Eden's security bands:
- High Castle (highsec): A siege-style fortress with no player-versus-player damage. Players can deploy solo or in a squad to work through shared objectives. This is the safest place to learn the game.
- Vorago (lowsec): A hostile chasm where both enemy forces and rival Warclones stand between a squad and a successful extraction. This is the PvEvP experience familiar from earlier playtests.
- The Vault (nullsec): A PvP-first labyrinth where three squads of three compete, and the layout changes between deployments. Only one team can extract with the rare Weapon Cores used to manufacture high-tier weapons.
Weapon Progression and the BR-60
Using a weapon family now earns Weapon Telemetry, which unlocks more powerful variants and new loadout options over time. The Gallente BR-60 Battle Rifle joins the arsenal with this release.
Movement, Suit and Interface
Warclones deploy in a new Vanguard suit and can now vault and mantle across medium and high cover. Squad formation, fitting, deployment and post-battle report screens have been overhauled. Fenris also lists improvements to aiming, enemy behavior, healing and grenades.
How EVE Vanguard Connects to EVE Online
The headline feature of November 10 is the first permanent, 24/7 link between the two games. The Fractured Skies preview explains how it works:
- Warclones complete contracts and expeditions in Vanguard.
- Each completed contract increases the number of special campaign sites that appear across highsec and lowsec in EVE Online.
- Those sites appear as anomalies covering PvE, mining and exploration. They contain more campaign items than regular sites but disappear quickly.
- EVE Online pilots can run them for rewards or turn in the items to push their empire's Military Campaign forward.
What Comes Next for the Link
The deeper step is enlistment in Factional Warfare, which would let Vanguard players aid their chosen empire's Conquest directly. Fenris's October 29 announcement and PC Gamer's interview place that in Q2 2027, while the earlier EVE Online expansion preview mentioned February. Fenris notes that roadmap dates and features are subject to change, so the exact timing remains open. Davis told PC Gamer he is looking forward to players adopting faction heraldry on their characters, which could shape how strangers treat one another in mixed PvE and PvP maps.
What Is EVE Online: Fractured Skies?
Fractured Skies is the EVE Online expansion launching the same day. It begins a new chapter in lowsec Factional Warfare that builds toward the first Conquest in February.
Two-Month Military Campaigns
Ancient artifacts have begun surfacing across New Eden, and each of the four empires launches a two-month Military Campaign on November 10 to claim them. The campaigns pit Amarr against Minmatar and Caldari against Gallente. Any capsuleer can contribute, whether enlisted in Factional Warfare or not, by hacking containers, destroying non-capsuleer forces in Factional Warfare complexes and new sites, or mining ore.
These activities yield faction campaign items that are delivered to item traders in the empire's headquarters system. Contributions pay out ISK and Loyalty Points, with exclusive trader rewards that include a new Glamourex booster, a faction salvager module, blueprints for a scanning upgrade module and rare faction apparel. Completed objectives unlock system-wide bonuses, such as increased warp speed or greater damage, which activate on January 5 and last until the first Conquest begins.
A live event in mid-January brings all four empires into lowsec over the artifacts. The first empire to complete all four objectives chooses the battlefield and brings command carrier reinforcements led by a faction general. The winner of that battle gains a limited-time Drifter module in its LP store.
New Ships and Synchronizer Rigs
Four navy attack battlecruisers join the game, available only from Factional Warfare LP stores: the Naga Navy Issue, which finally swaps hybrid turrets for cruise missile and torpedo launchers, the Tornado Fleet Issue, the Oracle Navy Issue and the Talos Navy Issue. Nine sets of Synchronizer Rigs arrive in three sizes each. Their bonuses grow with every matching faction module fitted, and the five pirate versions add unique bonuses with large penalties.
Other Changes
A redesigned HUD arrives in Feature Preview as an opt-in option. New pilots in Exordium Starter Space get 13 free, pre-fitted AIR Academy Ships covering combat, exploration and mining. The AIR Career Program moves into the Achievements system, adding almost 80 achievements; unfinished program tasks should be completed and claimed before the update, as existing progress and rewards will be cleared. Carriers, heavy assault cruisers and strategic cruisers receive balance changes, and void bombs now travel and detonate more slowly.
Should You Join the Alpha Now or Wait for Early Access?
The case for joining on November 10 is straightforward for EVE players: the connection to Fractured Skies' campaigns starts now, the $15 entry price includes permanent access, and founder-period items such as the Banshee M247 will not be sold later. Players who enjoy shaping a game through feedback also get the longest runway before Steam Early Access.
The case for waiting is just as clear. The game is an alpha with expected bugs, controller support does not arrive until December, and the deeper Factional Warfare integration is months away. Players who want a more complete experience can wishlist Vanguard on Steam and watch for time-limited Steam playtests, which Fenris says will happen before Early Access, with dates still to be announced.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does the EVE Vanguard alpha start on November 10?
The 24/7 paid alpha opens at 11:00 UTC on November 10, 2026. That is 5:00 a.m. Central, 6:00 a.m. Eastern and 3:00 a.m. Pacific, and noon in central Europe. It launches alongside EVE Online: Fractured Skies.
How much does EVE Vanguard cost?
Founder's Packs start at $15 for the Resonant Pack. Contraband Packs cost $30 each, the Fulcrum Pack is $100 and the Legacy Pack is $514. Every pack includes permanent access through full release and the same Deployment-Ready Bundle of weapons, grenades and gear.
Does EVE Online Omega include EVE Vanguard?
No. The official FAQ states that Omega time does not include access to EVE Vanguard. Players need to buy a Founder's Pack to deploy in the alpha.
Is EVE Vanguard on Steam?
Vanguard has a Steam page for wishlists, but the paid alpha is available only through the EVE Launcher on PC. Steam Early Access, which will move the game into beta, is planned for Q3 2027. Fenris also plans time-limited Steam playtests before then.
Can you play EVE Vanguard on console or with a controller?
The alpha is PC only. Full controller support is scheduled for December 2026, according to the official FAQ. No console version has been announced.
Is there a PvE mode in EVE Vanguard?
Yes. High Castle, the new highsec map, is a siege-style fortress with no player-versus-player damage, playable solo or with a squad. New players start in co-op PvE before unlocking the mixed PvEvP map Vorago and the PvP-first Vault.
How does EVE Vanguard affect EVE Online?
Completing contracts and expeditions in Vanguard increases the number of special campaign sites in EVE Online's highsec and lowsec. Capsuleers can run those sites for rewards or deliver their items to push their empire's Military Campaign. Direct enlistment in Factional Warfare for Vanguard players is planned for 2027.
When do the Fractured Skies Military Campaigns end?
The campaigns run for two months from November 10. Earned bonuses activate on January 5, a live event follows in mid-January, and the bonuses last until the first Conquest begins in February.
