Once again, EVE Online players have been embroiled in an epic war causing high amounts of ship casualties. One side has suffered incredible losses, but the fight is still ongoing. A war like this is nothing new to EVE Online, but World War Bee 2 is the largest yet, breaking world records for PVP. The destruction also translates into hundreds of thousands of real-world dollars. World War Bee 2 is one for the EVE history books, as its events are being recorded by some players.
EVE Online is a long-standing MMO which takes place in a space sandbox. It allows players to play as they see fit and while it does have PVE elements, most of the action happens around player-created factions. Some of the larger ones have been around for a decade or more and many have grown not just by gaining members but by forming alliances with smaller groups or having them join. Hardcore players can be serious about these factions, with espionage and sabotage going on in the background.
EVE Online takes a level of dedication to really get into, so when war breaks out it can get intense and is usually about territory, resources or fun rivalry.
In this case, an old rivalry between two commanders, Vily and the Mittani, dating back to 2014, is the cause for World War Bee 2. The first World War Bee was caused by this rivalry, too. Vily was initially part of Goonswarm Federation but was let go by the Mittani when he had to leave for a few months due to military deployment.
Vily then joined a new group and became a fleet commander, but never forgot his mission to destroy Goonswarm after their betrayal. It's rarely just two groups fighting when it's on this scale. Most have a few alliances who band together to help each other, either out of friendship or in exchange for territory or other goods and services.
EVE Online has had many massive scale space battles and it's been reported on in the past when someone lost tons of real-world cash or if a particular battle was spectacular in some way. This latest battle is no different. Approximately 8,825 players took part in the second fight to thwart a Keepstar, a massive player made structure, from anchoring itself in rival territory. It broke a World Record for largest MMO PVP battle in history -- literally outdoing itself. On top of this, the war has casualties translating to over $300,000 USD.
Generally, items and build costs in-game don't cost real currency but can be converted by the worth of a single purchasable item called PLEX. PLEX provides a month of game time and can be sold or traded in-game for ISK, EVE's currency.
The current conversion estimation is in flux thanks to World War Bee 2's impact on EVE's economy, but is approximately 800 million ISK for one PLEX, which is $20 USD. Many of EVE's battles have estimated costs in the thousands, with one of its most expensive landing between $300,000 and $330,000 USD. There will surely be more destruction as the war continues.
EVE Online is an intense game of capitalism and politics that spans years. Alliances and peace are often delicate and a simple misunderstanding or infringement on someone's territory can start a skirmish or full-on war, throwing entire systems into turmoil. One of the most famous battles from 2014, referred to as the Battle of B-R5RB, was even commemorated by the game's developers, CCP Games, with an in-game monument.
World War Bee 2 is far from over and there will likely be more casualties and possibly bigger battles as one faction tries to evict another from nearby space.