CCP released a new DevBlog on Thursday with details about Eve’s newest PVE mode: Abyssal Deadspace. While the devblog did not tell us anything new, it serves as a concise recap of what’s to come. These hidden pockets will be accessible from all types of space: HiSec, LoSec, NullSec, and Wormholes. Each encounter will consist of three pockets linked by gates, and will be time-gated at 20 minutes to allow for quick encounters.
If you don’t clear the three pockets in 20 minutes, you die. There will be no warping out and returning to known space until the pockets are cleared or time has expired.
These pockets of Abyssal Deadspace will be accessed by means of filaments, which can be found across New Eden, as well as within Abyssal Deadspace itself, and will be tradeable on the market.
Only cruisers will be allowed to enter Abyssal Deadspace, and the pockets are scaled at levels intended to be suitable to the different types of cruisers. You’ll be able to activate your filament from your cargo hold to enter Abyssal Deadspace if (1) you are in a cruiser, (2) at a certain distance from a celestial, with (3) no active aggression timers. And speaking of aggression, entering Abyssal Deadspace will cause you to leave a trace behind in known space that can be scanned by anyone with combat probes to wait for you to exit.
While you’re in the pockets, you will have no local chat, and will be unable to warp, deploy structures, or scan. CCP hinted at additional restrictions, but did not specify what these might be. They also noted that weather and other conditions inside the Abyssal Deadspace will impact ship and module stats and performance. Your filament will inform you what level of pocket you’re about to enter, and which of the five different weather conditions are affecting it.
Adding to the challenge, according to CCP, “CONCORD frowns upon the technology capsuleers are bringing back from this new unknown.” That being the case, in Empire space, those who explore the higher-level tier 4 and 5 Abyssal sites will receive a suspect flag upon returning to known space. CONCORD apparently doesn’t mind if you poke your nose out into the Abyss a bit – they just don’t want you venturing too far, or bringing back too much of that shiny new Triglavian loot.
CCP notes that the Triglavian faction inhabiting these Abyssal pockets are of unknown origin, but suspected to be human. The post hints at the possibility of new ship types, noting that Capsuleers can pilot Triglavian ships with the right training, and also says that they have been observed interacting with Rogue Drones, suggesting some level of control. Roaming Drifters and Sleepers have also been observed in Abyssal Deadspace.
Loot drops in Abyssal Deadspace include filaments, Triglavian gear and blueprints, and Mutaplasmids – a new mechanic allowing attribute manipulation of player-made modules.
These new encounters will ship with the Into the Abyss release on May 29 and will continue to be refined thereafter. So hang onto your filament, and we’ll see you in the Abyss!
