Next EVE Online expansion gets fancy title

We already knew that there was a new major expansion coming out for EVE Online this year that went under the working title "Midas". Now CCP has officially announced it and given it an official name - Quantum Rise. Just like the Empyrean Age-expansion, released earlier this year, focused on military power and PvP, Quantum Rise focuses on the other part that makes the EVE cluster tick; industry.

From the press-release:

"Players have great things to look forward to in EVE Online: Quantum Rise. Corporations will be able to set their products apart from the rest by building trust in their goods through customizable storefronts. The backbone of EVE's vibrant economy, industrial ships are being rebalanced and optimized to better suit the needs of haulers and industrialists-including the latest edition to the fleet, a massive capital industrial ship dubbed the Orca. A new certificate system will give a quick and verifiable means to discern a pilot's skill level in trading, gunnery or countless other professions, providing plenty of bragging rights. Meanwhile, the introduction of a medal system allows corporations to distinguish their most valued pilots and honor them for their achievements."

CCP will also bring in changes to their server hardware, another step in their work towards reducing lag, and several other changes to the game including what they call "weapon linking" and changes to the autopilot. More information will be posted soon and we'll of course bring you updates as soon as we have them.

If you want to hear more about Quantum Rise, check out our GRTV-interview with producer Arend Stührmann from Leipzig Games Convention.

Iceland has been hit extremely hard by the current financial crisis, but so far CCP seems to have been able to avoid most of the problems.