Operation Permafrost has been unleashed onto the test server on Saturday and has given players a chance to test and explore the event before it goes live on December 17. According to CCP Sledgehammer, “[We] hope you enjoy this one; it’s a bit different and more ambitious.”

The event features a new design, where instead of an event site per system being spawned,  it is formed per constellation. To compensate for this change, the site is broken down into three different grids accessible by a jump gate. One site focuses on ore and gas cloud harvesting. The second site focuses on PVE—fighting off a fleet of NPCs. The last site focuses on data containers. Each site provides a range of different rewards and to achieve the best result in Permafrost a player will have to go into each different area.

Cerebral boosters are also back with their standard options. They are produced by using blueprints from  the NPCs and built using material gathered in the gas and ore fields, similar to the blood Raider sites:

• +6 for 24 hours
• +10 for 24 hours
• +12 for 24 hours
• +10 for 72 hours

Again, these boosters are affected by the Biology skill, which increases the duration of a booster by 20% per skill level.

The thing that stands out regarding Operation Permafrost, making it different from all the other live events that we have experienced so far from CCP, is that it is primarily designed to be a group environment rather than a solo environment. In the agency window under operation permafrost, there is a chat icon called “Join Events” chat channel. Lower-skilled players will rely on other players killing rats and protecting them in the mining sites. NPCs will continue to spawn, meaning the site is never truly clear.  The ore and gas is respawned at DT.

My favorite feature of Operation Permafrost is the artwork and the environment. It feels on a whole new level. When you warp to the ice dwarf celestial beacon, your screen will fade to white as it loads the new environment. You will find yourself in the upper atmosphere of a planet.  If you have run the Abyss, you will also notice that your camera is locked and you cannot scroll all the way out. This helps capture the environment that you find yourself in.

Besides cerebral boosters, players can look forward to exclusive skins, some exclusive modules dropping from the NPC, as well as a wide range of skins, including , glacial drift, which has been brought back into circulation. Finally, the white dwarf can be found all over New Eden: highsec, lowsec, and null sec, though there are some slight difference between the three levels of security. The biggest ship that can be used is a Rorqual (Orcas can be used in highsec). Also, carriers are not allowed.

During my testing, I was able to speak with a member of the EVE Online QA team and was given insight into Permafrost by CCP Sledgehammer, who clarified many details about the event, such as the differences between security and what ships are allowed to spawn. INN will release a more in-depth guide to Operation Permafrost in the future, but currently CCP wants players to explore Permafrost for themselves and find out what this event has in store for them. If you have feedback on these live events, let CCP know what you think. Such feedback helps shape the future of live events for 2019.

On a personal note, this marks my 49th piece written for INN over the past year. It has been a pleasure to help share content with the player base. From breaking news to in-depth guides, it has all been a blast and I look forward to my next year. To all my readers, thank you and I wish you all happy holidays.