Used to identify the game, unaltered. EVE Online wordmark, trademark of its owner, from the publisher's Steam store listing

EVE Online

Catalogue entry · not reviewed · store data read 30 August 2026

Over 20 years of legendary space battles! Explore a massive living universe of danger and opportunity in a challenging and highly rewarding space adventure. Fight, trade, build, and connect with a universe driven and shaped directly by players.

Role-Playing MMORPG Simulation

Player score

7.3/10

39,389 reviews

Released: 2003
Developer: Simon & Schuster
Platforms: 1 systems
Critics: 88
Steam Deck: playable
Download: Not stated

We have not written a full review of this game.This is a catalogue entry: everything below comes from a source we can link, checked on a stated date. There is no score and no verdict here, because we only publish those after a reviewer has played the game and written it up properly. Our team may well have played this one. Until someone writes the review, we are not going to imply a verdict we have not put our name to.

What is EVE Online?

Description as published by the developer on its own store page, read 30 August 2026. It is marketing copy, not our assessment.

The record

Catalogue facts
First released	6 May 2003
Developer	Simon & Schuster, Fenris Creations
Publisher	Fenris Creations, Simon & Schuster, Atari
Platforms	PC
Genres	Role-Playing, MMORPG, Simulation
Languages	8 supported

Source. Catalogue facts from Wikidata Q336177, seeded 30 August 2026. Store data from Steam, read 30 August 2026.

How was EVE Online received?

Players73%positive of 39,389 · Mostly Positive

Metacritic88critic aggregate, PC

Method. Player figures are Steam's own totals for the PC version, read 30 August 2026. The Metacritic score is the one Steam publishes on its store page and can lag the site itself. Metacritic page. Neither is our opinion. We have not published a review of this game.

Accessibility

4 declared features

Method. Features the publisher declared on its own store page. A declaration is a floor, not a review.

What does it support?

Technical support
Capability	Support
Controller	Not stated
Cloud saves	No
Cross-platform play	No
Mod support	No official workshop
Online play	Yes
In-game purchases	No
Steam Deck	playable
Download size	Not stated
Add-on content	22 DLC listed
Age gate	None

Method. Read from the publisher's Steam listing on 30 August 2026. Describes the PC version. Console versions differ.

What does it cost?

Free

Steam price in US dollars, read 30 August 2026. Prices move hourly and vary by region. Check the current price.

Problems players report

We read the 300 most recent negative Steam reviews of EVE Online on 30 August 2026 and counted what they mention. These are complaints, not confirmed defects: we have not reproduced any of them, and a review describes one person's machine. What the counts tell you is which problems more than one person ran into.

Monetisation inside the game12 of 300 (4%)
On paper it's chugging along, in reality the game has been been pretty dead for a while, plagued by microtransactions to keep the company afloat.
Steam review, 14 June 2026 · 60 hours played · 205 readers marked it helpful
You hit a hard wall on skill points extremely fast, and most of the interesting ships, modules, and skills are completely locked behind a paywall.
Steam review, 24 July 2026 · 153 hours played · 183 readers marked it helpful

A further 3 reviews call the game buggy or broken without saying how, which is why they are counted separately rather than assigned to a theme. Counted by keyword across review text, so a review discussing two problems is counted under both. Read the reviews yourself.

Games like EVE Online

24 games overlap with EVE Online on the tags Steam players applied to it, on genre, and on theme. The closest are VEGA Conflict, Star Trek Online and PlanetSide 2.

All 24 games like EVE Online

Common questions about EVE Online

What platforms is EVE Online on?

EVE Online is available on PC. It first released in 2003.

Is EVE Online free?

Yes. EVE Online is free to download on Steam.

Do players recommend EVE Online?

73% of 39,389 Steam reviews are positive, which Steam rates Mostly Positive. That is players rating it, not our review. We have not published a review of this game.

What is the Metacritic score for EVE Online?

88 out of 100 for the PC version, as published on the game's own Steam store page. Steam can lag Metacritic by a few points.

Does EVE Online work on Steam Deck?

Valve rates EVE Online as playable on the Steam Deck, from its own testing.

Who made EVE Online?

EVE Online was developed by Simon & Schuster, Fenris Creations and published by Fenris Creations, Simon & Schuster, Atari.