EVE Echoes developer NetEase has set a mid-August release date for the mobile adaption of EVE Online. The announcement came during a May 17 live stream, which also featured two new trailers: a cinematic one and more game play footage. The stream included NetEase Executive Producer Su Wei, game designers Melos and Lancedot, and stream host Randall.
Echoes will follow the Alpha/Omega clone model with two tiers of Omega. Both Omegas can access the entire game, but the more expensive one can get 20 skill points more per minute than the lower cost Omega. Exact pricing has not been finalized and the developers have emphasized that nothing is set in stone. It was also confirmed that players will be able to pay for their subscription using PLEX. This comes as a relief given the recent news that Alphas would not be able to sell merchandise on the market, though it is presumed that they would still be able to use contracts, and purchasing items is allowed. NetEase said that this is due to concerns about market bots.
Corps, Outposts and Factions
Corporations will have a membership limit of 50 players, but can be increased to 200 with the Corporation Management skill trained to max. Alliances membership numbers are presumed to have no limit at this point, and the developers stated that sovereignty mechanics won’t be introduced for a few months to give groups time to build up their resources.
The Capsuleer Outpost, which is a structure unique to Eve Echoes, was also discussed. It gives players the opportunity to build a personal base in areas of null sec and low sec in the event that NPC stations are not available. The structures will be limited to those regions and can be attacked.
Lastly, there was confirmation about an Echoes-exclusive faction, the Yan Jung, which is based around Asian aesthetics. The Yan Jung is mentioned in EVE lore, however, the developers are still keeping more information about them secret. It was believed that players would be able to select the Yan Jung, like they can other races, but recent news indicates only their ships and modules will be usable.
With a release window finally confirmed we can expect to hear more about Echoes in the coming months. You can watch the full stream on the Echoes YouTube Channel.
