CCP Games talked about the future of EVE Online in Friday's keynote!

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.

Having the releases closer together will allow EVE to ship out new content and features more quickly to its players. The former model would require waiting up to six months for the next expansion for these releases, but now the team is looking forward to being more flexible and ambitious. The updates will be free for active EVE subscribers.

Kronos, due out on June 3rd, will focus significantly on the backbone of EVE: the Industry. This release will put more power into your hands. Notable changes in Kronos include:

• Reprocessing: adjustments including decreased yield, increased ore output, bonuses for starbases, and a revamped mining UI
• Compression: improvements such as not needing a stockpile of blueprints--just right-click the ore and compress, boosted quantity of ore
• Manufacturing: groups are being organized, stockpiles limited to 100
• 12 new ship skins
• Launching tooltips to give necessary contextual information for new players
• Starbases: removing restriction on standings for putting up a high-security base, removal of the ability to use remote blueprints in starbases, increased efficeny, research takes less time 
• Landscape: Industry facilities will have unlimited slots, activity based cost scaling
• Teams: new feature, can specialize to optimize manufacturing jobs, teams can move and retire

11th anniversary gift: the Gecko

• Can customize freighters for your needs; can fit rigs on them, increase your cargohold and add speed
• Transport ships and blockade runners get more flexibility including a new slot for extra faction, more cargo availability, etc
• A new mining frigate, the Prospect, with the ability to fit a covert ops cloaking device; first of a new class of tech two expedition frigates, enhanced mining capability, increased cargo hold
• New improvements to mining in dangerous spaces
• Drone changes: full-fledged weapons system, every faction's drone is a viable choice, new enhancement modules and skills will be streamlined
• A new faction, Mordu's Legion: these are Caldari and Intaki Veterans who are security contractors, deployed to low security space in fast and versatile skirmishers, and finally are missile specialists. Ships shown include a frigate, cruiser and battleship.
• Some ship redesgins, including the Caldari Moa and the Typhoon
• Faction Stations
• New station and booster sounds; warp-in effects

EVE's future looks bright and busy—we can't wait! Here's a mini-documentary of the B-R5RB battle from earlier this year to sate you in the meantime.

Colt "ShdwFlm" Casey, Deputy Editor
Ann "Cyliena" Hosler, Managing Editor