"My concentration is on making the best goddamn VR game I can!"

As Lead Game Designer, Chris Smith is spearheading the direction of EVE: Valkyrie. Continuing our coverage of Fanfest 2014, I sat down with him and got another look inside Valkyrie's development by CCP Games.

A few things to keep an eye on:

• Smith references Halo 1, Team Fortress 2, Gears of War and Mario Kart
• There's an interesting discussion on roles and cockpit vision
• We get a second cryptic, but very revealing, answer on Rán's lore
• Near the end, we get an exclusive scoop about Fanfest 2015!

Currently, EVE: Valkyrie is more of a "wild ride" than a game – and that's okay.

At only one year past its prototype, EVE: Valkyrie is blowing socks off. During Fanfest 2014, crowds gathered and lines formed; everyone seized their chance for three minutes in space. CCP Games had secured 9 of 17 Oculus Rift DK2's in the world. Attendees took full advantage.

Personally, I played Valkyrie in two forms:

• The Unreal Engine 4 build on the Oculus Rift DK2 (x2)
• The Unity build on Sony's 'Project Morpheus' (x1)

Let's see how it all stacks up.

EVE: Valkyrie is the forerunner of gaming's next generation. Having played at Fanfest, the hype is real – but more on that later. I recently sat down with Owen O'Brien, Executive Producer on Valkyrie, and talked VR, UI, logos and beyond. O'Brien gives a light-hearted, insightful view inside Valkyrie's development. Two things to look out for:

• I received a bizarre answer about Oculus as a co-publisher
• I asked what's behind the mask of Rán – and the answer was very compelling

Kronos is the first. Of what, you ask?

More frequent updates to the EVE Online universe – roughly ten per year, in fact. Moving away from bi-annual big update model, CCP Games is looking to be a lot more agile, with rougly six weeks between each. Updates will be named after Greek gods. Sadly, these names will have no relation to content—an understandable sacrifice.

“Project Legion”. What is it?

Let’s call it a spiritual successor. Part experiment, part project, “Project Legion” is an idea grown from the seeds of DUST 514. Dubbed an MMOFPS with RPG elements, Legion could become everything people originally wanted from DUST – a free PC release with a more open, pliable world.

The ambition is huge and details are scarce.

ZAM's Deputy Editor, Colt "ShdwFlm" Casey, sat down with Julien Dulioust, “CCP Z”, Monetization Director in CCP Shanghai, at EVE Fanfest 2014 to learn a bit more.

Colt "ShdwFlm" Casey has a report on today's EVE: Valkyrie announcements, and we also have an exciting new trailer to share!

Valkyrie's engine has moved from Unity to Unreal Engine 4. At first glance hands-on, there wasn't an immediate visual difference -- but the game looks and feels as good as ever. One Valkyrie developer mentioned that while Unity was good to start, UE4 means a higher ceiling for long-term quality. Assets got pulled over from Unity, but the code (understandably) had to be redone.

"So, why are you flying to Iceland?"

It's very interesting the looks you receive while explaining Fanfest. Sitting next to a spry grandfather and a middle-age nurse, I understood that their years of wisdom had no place for EVE Online – I only have a few months of gametime myself. With multiple Fanfest attendees in earshot with decades between them, I tried my best not to butcher the complex universe it celebrates.

With another year comes another incredible Fanfest.

Each year, fans of EVE Online and the EVE universe gather to celebrate the home they've created. This year's event is only a week away, from May 1 - 3. To help you plan ahead, CCP Games just put out a blog post detailing the festivities. In addition to the huge array of panels and presentations, there are special events occurring throughout the week:

EVE Fanfest 2014 is just around the corner, running from May 1-3 in Reykjavik, Iceland. Those who can't make the trip can stay tuned to the action with CCP's livestreaming options!

EVE Online's annual Fanfest will return with the celebrations kicking off from May 1-3 in Reykjavik, Iceland. Join the party on the top of the world and check out EVE's summer expansion, some DUST 514 action and details about EVE: Valkrie and the Oculus Rift.