Google just bought a stake in the maker of Eve Online to train its AI models
Source: Engadget
Partnership Overview
The developer behind the long‑running space simulation Eve Online has entered into a partnership with Google in which the search giant will take a minority stake. In exchange, Google’s DeepMind will train its AI technology on the game, according to a report by Bloomberg【https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-05-06/google-deepmind-takes-minority-stake-in-maker-of-eve-online】.
Google’s investment is described as “in the millions” of dollars by Fenris Creations Chief Executive Officer Hilmar Veigar Pétursson.
Company Background
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Fenris Creations – formerly CCP Games, the studio that created and maintains Eve Online. The rebrand was announced shortly after the company repurchased the rights to the game from Korean developer Pearl Abyss【https://pressreleases.triplepointpr.com/2026/05/06/studio-behind-eve-online-goes-independent-rebrands-as-fenris-creations-enters-research-partnership-with-google-deepmind/】【https://www.gamesindustry.biz/pearl-abyss-sells-ccp-back-to-its-ceo-for-less-than-half-what-it-paid-plus-20-million-in-crypto】.
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Eve Online – a space‑MMO that has been live for over 20 years【https://www.engadget.com/2018-05-06-eve-online-15th-anniversary-andrew-groen-empires-excerpt.html】, known for its deep player agency and complex social dynamics.
AI Training Details
DeepMind will first study player behavior on isolated servers. According to DeepMind’s Adrian Bolton, Eve Online presents challenges such as “long‑term planning and continual learning,” skills that AI has not yet fully mastered.
The partnership also promises to explore new gameplay experiences enabled by these technologies, though specific details remain vague.
Implications for Players
Players’ in‑game actions will be tracked and catalogued for research purposes. Fenris Creations CEO Hilmar Veigar Pétursson noted that Eve Online “gives insights about our own society and the human condition,” and jokingly referred to it as the “final boss for AI in games.”
Google’s History with Game AI
DeepMind has previously trained AI on a range of games, including:
- Arcade classics【https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/04/01/974997/deepminds-ai-57-atari-games-but-its-still-not-versatile-enough/】
- StarCraft II【https://deepmind.google/blog/alphastar-grandmaster-level-in-starcraft-ii-using-multi-agent-reinforcement-learning/】
Fenris Creations Projects
- Eve Vanguard – an upcoming FPS‑focused spinoff【https://store.steampowered.com/app/1872800/EVE_Vanguard/】
- Eve Galaxy Conquest – a recently launched mobile title【https://www.evegalaxyconquest.com/】
- Eve Frontier – a blockchain‑based spinoff (formerly Project Awakening)【https://www.ccpgames.com/news/2025/eve-frontier-to-launch-on-layer-1-blockchain-sui】