(Above: An image from the 49-U6U Slaughterhouse - The largest battle on Serenity so far)

EVE Online plays host to an ever-changing universe, with sprawling political and economic landscapes.

As one chapter in this epic decade and a half long saga closes, woven into the fabric of New Eden’s history, another opens.

We’re delighted to announce that the story of EVE Online will continue in China, as CCP partners with NetEase Games to take New Eden’s Serenity server to the next level for Chinese capsuleers.

With a track record of releasing games of high quality in the Chinese market and abundant operating experience in this territory which remains super close to CCP’s heart, NetEase will no doubt prove to be a suitable publisher for EVE Online in China.

Building on the already established relationship between NetEase and CCP as we work together on EVE: Project Galaxy, we will collaborate to bring EVE Online to more players in China than ever before.

With new events, updated content and the incredible care and attention to detail that NetEase shows its titles, we are incredibly confident that this partnership is the start of a new era for internet spaceships in China.

As we work to hand over the Serenity cluster from our current publisher to NetEase in the coming months, we would like to re-assure our pilots in China that our core priority is to preserve and protect the history and legacy of their gameplay, and the achievements they’ve worked so hard for in New Eden.

Right now, we estimate that NetEase will assume the publishing of EVE Online in the Chinese market starting in October 2018, and we are working closely with our current publisher to migrate player data to their services.

With all three parties collaborating closely, we aim to minimise the window when EVE Online will need to suspend service in China and have a transition that is as smooth as possible.

We’re incredibly excited to be working with NetEase to publish EVE Online in China, so be sure to stay tuned for more specific launch information in the coming months.

If you'd like to discuss this dev blog, head on over to the comments thread on the official EVE Online Forums.