If there's one game where players take steps to make what they want into a reality, it's the MMO EVE Online. From creating player-driven empires to turning a fan-made cemetery into a game feature, players drive some of the most meaningful changes in EVE Online.
There are a few reasons for this, with one of the biggest being the way EVE Online operates. Although it is constantly overseen and modified by developer CCP Games, most things in the game are player owned and operated. Players make their ships and weapons, carve out territory, and mine that territory for resources. On top of that, all players are on a single server. This means that when player factions go to war, they go to war in a big way.
The players of EVE Online are currently embroiled in a massive war. Named World War Bee 2, it is a conflict between the Goonswarm Imperium (a large corporation of players) and a coalition of smaller factions referred to as PAPI. After a slow-burn start to the war, PAPI launched a major 14-hour offensive into Goonswarm territory, in which PAPI was pushed back but Goonswarm suffered heavy losses. The battle was the largest PvP fight in any game, both in total players participating and total players participating at one time, and those achievements have now been confirmed by Guinness World Records.
This is somewhat unsurprising because it is not the first time EVE Online has set a record like this. In fact, when it comes to the most players participating at one time, EVE is actually breaking its own previous record. World War Bee 2 only started a few months ago, so there's a chance this won't even be the craziest battle it facilitates.
Many players say that this is a great time to pick up EVE Online. Not only is the war making things exciting, but combat in the game may soon evolve. CCP Games is testing a new UI-only mode to help streamline combat further, and EVE Online may never be the same after it is implemented.
On top of that, the Phoenix update for EVE Online recently ended a year-long story and reshaped the galaxy in an important way. How this will impact the war is uncertain, but it will definitely impact players going forward. There's a good chance Guinness will have to confirm some more records going forward, but what they'll be for is anyone's guess.
EVE Online is available for PC.