Today, Fenris Creations unveiled Operation Avalon, the first Alpha playtest of EVE Vanguard, the in-development extraction-adventure FPS connected to the legendary sci-fi MMO EVE Online. Running July 7–20, 2026 via Steam and the EVE Launcher, Operation Avalon showcases a new foundation for EVE Vanguard, with rebuilt combat, expanded enemies, new weapons, and a deeper risk-and-extraction loop, ahead of its always-on Alpha release via the EVE Launcher in November 2026.
“Operation Avalon puts EVE Vanguard’s core gameplay front and center,” said Scott Davis, Game Director for EVE Vanguard. “This is the heart of the experience: deploying under pressure, pushing deeper as the threat escalates, and making the call on what’s worth taking before everything turns against you.”
“Every deployment is a risk you choose to take,” said Snorri Árnason, Executive Producer for EVE Vanguard. “What you extract, what you lose, and how you fight defines what you bring into the next run. That cycle of pressure, loss, and progression is what Vanguard is built on.”
EVE Vanguard is set on the merciless planets of New Eden. Players deploy from space as technologically immortal Warclones – whose consciousnesses are stored within neural implants and transferred between expendable bodies – onto hostile surfaces to raid crash sites, assault enemy structures, and secure advanced technology before extraction.
Between deployments, Warclones return to the Warbarge, a mobile command space where they craft and procure equipment before preparing their loadout for the next incursion. Weapons are modular and can be reconfigured with multiple fire modes and damage types via chipsets, allowing players to constantly adapt and evolve their tactics.
With intense PvPvE combat, each run places players into direct competition with escalating planetary defenses and rival Warclones, pushing them to emerge upgraded, improved, and ready to fight again. Roaming drones guard sites containing crucial resources, while higher-value rewards must be hacked into or forced open under pressure.
Every action carries risk: pushing deeper into sites or remaining active for too long draws a response. Alarms escalate, and hostile reinforcements are deployed to secure the area, tightening control. The longer players remain, the more forceful and coordinated that response becomes, culminating in chaingun-armed Oppressors descending from the sky to eliminate any living threat that remains.
Operation Avalon lays the groundwork for EVE Vanguard’s integration with EVE Online, establishing how ground combat will contribute to wider campaigns over time. In November 2026, EVE Vanguard will release into Alpha and be available live 24/7 via the EVE launcher on PC.
