The spacefaring MMORPG EVE Online has been alive since 2003. Its passionate community has done some great things like help scientists fight the ongoing coronavirus pandemic through research-based minigames, and this week over 2,000 players gathered together to celebrate the birthday of a player who was recently diagnosed with returning pancreatic cancer.
Billions worth of in-game currency were destroyed as two huge armies took part in a space battle held in honor of Chappy78's 42nd birthday Tuesday, which the player told PC Gamer may be his last given his current medical diagnosis. A major facet of the game is its economy of spaceships that can be bought, earned, and traded, with one special-edition ship selling for the equivalent $40,000 in real-world currency back in January to raise money for Australian fire relief.
Chappy78 described the battle as "big" and "outrageous," unlike anything he had ever seen in his nine years of playing EVE Online, in-part because the game's developer CCP Games got involved to encourage him to post about it on an official forum. That original post has been viewed by nearly 17,000 people as of this writing, and according to Chappy78 it was even seen by notoriously nihilistic player destroyers known as "Code" who offered to escort him to the battle.
EVE Online has provided a strong community of friends for Chappy78, who told PC Gamer that fighting pancreatic cancer in 2017 is just one in a long line of hardships he has faced, including being struck by an IED in Afghanistan and struggling to return to normal life as a military veteran. His birthday bash is just one way he has chosen to "have a blast" rather than mope around and be miserable, and it likely served the same purpose for other players following the cancellation of EVE Online's Fanfest in March.
While the community of players is part of what makes EVE Online so attractive to many, the game also has a continual stream of content through official events and updates. For instance, recently CCP Games announced humans will be able to work with aliens through a new intergalactic faction.
It's heartwarming to see a community come together for such a good cause. Though the game has dealt with some hardships, like a nine-day DDoS attack in February, hopefully EVE Online continues to thrive so it can give players like Chappy78 something to be a part of.
EVE Online is available now on PC.
Source: PC Gamer, EVE Online Forum