On August 7 CCP announced via press release that Eve Echoes, the mobile incarnation of the Eve online universe in collaboration with NetEase, is now available for alpha testing. The EVE Echoes closed alpha will be available for selected Australian, New Zealand and Nordic iOS users with iPhone 6S or above, or Android users with a Samsung Note8, Note9, S8, S9, Huawei P30 or Google Pixel 2. The alpha will go live on Monday, August 26, and run for four weeks ending Friday, September 20. If you are interested in taking part, sign up on the Eve Echoes site.
Not much of the game has been shown off to date, but what we have been able to see, from photos and trailers, is a simpler user interface and interaction for players. A notable example of this is PI, where you simply click for which resources you wish to extract. There also looks to be a lack of ammo icons and mining crystals, making it look easier to use without having to fiddle around with different ammo.
For myself, this feels like a chance to start Eve all over again with the knowledge and experience that I have now. I have high hopes of an exciting new age for Eve and a chance to play again from the start.
The official game play video from Eve Vegas last year is shown below.