EVE Online is a player-driven persistent-world massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) set in space. It is developed by the Icelandic company CCP Games; it was published from May to December 2003 by Simon & Schuster Interactive,[1] after which CCP purchased the rights back and began to self-publish via a digital distribution scheme.[2] Players pilot a wide array of customizable ships although most are suited for specific use.

The fictional background story[3] for EVE Online explains that long ago, humankind, having used up most of the Earth's resources, had started colonizing the rest of the Milky Way to sustain itself. Eventually, humans had expanded to most of the galaxy, resources became contested and war broke out. However, one day, a stable natural wormhole was discovered. The first people to pass through this wormhole found themselves in an uncharted system, which they named New Eden, in a completely foreign galaxy. Soon, colonists passed through the wormhole to colonize this unfamiliar galaxy. Unfortunately, after several years, the EVE wormhole collapsed in a catastrophic explosion, completely destroying the wormhole, and the star system of New Eden, wherein most of the government of the new galaxy had been based. With the wormhole closed, the colonists were completely cut off from the Milky Way and their much needed supplies--as minimal work had been done on making the colonies completely self-sufficient due to the ease of travel through the wormhole. Thus the colonies were thrown into a technological Dark Age. Many colonies died out completely, though many survived. Only five known colonies would ever return to any kind of prominence again, and they would eventually rebuild society together. These make up the five major empires in EVE: the Amarr Empire, the Gallente Federation, the Minmatar Republic, the Caldari State and the Jovian Empire. Players may choose from four of these races (Amarr, Gallente, Caldari, Minmatar) when creating a new character. The fifth race (Jove) are not currently playable, though CCP have said they intend to use the race within the EVE storyline.