The Council of Stellar Management is one of the most important bodies in EVE Online, as it is the main method of communication between the players and the developers. CSM representatives advocate for the players to help guide CCP’s decision making regarding the present and future direction of the game. In turn, CCP developers sound ideas and plans off of the CSM in order to ensure that it spends time on development of changes likely to be wanted or well received by most players. One key aspect of the CSM is that it is democratically elected by the players, thus ensuring that the representatives are in fact representative, and that no one voice is heard louder than any other.

In the past, CSM representatives were elected and names announced at the Fanfest. Following discussion at the Winter Summit, however, this year’s elections will take place later, with the candidates to be announced at Fanfest. As such, CCP has now announced a timeline as well as the rules and regulations for applying for candidacy for CSM13, to be elected in late April or early May.

Applications can be submitted during a window between March 19 and 23. Any player with an account – Alpha or Omega – greater than 60 days of age is eligible. To apply, candidates must have a passport or show evidence of an application for a passport, as attendance to the summits in Iceland is required for consideration. In addition, the CSM candidate must be at least 18 years old, and must provide personally identifying information for verification of identity and legal purposes. Players with a history of EULA/ToS violations may not be considered.

Candidates who are eligible for election will be announced at Fanfest. The actual election will take place at a future time to be determined later, in late April or early May. Onboarding and orientation will take place over the Summer, with the first CSM 13 Summit to take place in September, and the second to take place in February of 2019.

The applications for CSM 13 will be made available in a future dev post closer to the application window next month. Following application, candidates are encouraged to make a campaign thread in the appropriate forum. CSM representatives are an essential part of the longevity and growth of EVE and set the trajectory for the game’s development. If you have a strong commitment to helping CCP continue bringing a strong offering to the players, consider applying. More details on the requirements for application and the actual method of application can be found in the dev blog.