Yes, if you pay for Omega and you like a grind. I had more fun with EVE Online this year than I did the first time around, between 2004 and 2008, when I was stationed in Germany with the army. The difference this time was an AI coach I built to help me through it.
EVE Online launched in May 2003, per Wikipedia, and it has been free to start since November 2016, when the Ascension expansion added free Alpha clones, per Massively OP. I put 43 hours into it on Steam this time before I stopped.
Why Did I Have More Fun With EVE Online in 2026?
It comes back to the same thing I've been enjoying in other games: AI exists now. I made myself a complete EVE Online coach to help me get through it. That wasn't an option when I first played in 2004.
I do the same in WoW Forever, where my AI coach reads my character's data , it's how I levelled my weapon skill in five minutes. The idea is identical in EVE: a coach that knows the game, on hand whenever I get stuck.
Is EVE Online's Omega Worth It?
For me, yes. The base game is free, so I figured I'd pay $20 for one month , might as well. The bonus you get from that $20 is ridiculous for research and training. It's massive.
Omega costs $20 for a single month, or as little as $11 a month on a 24-month plan, per the EVE store. It doubles your skill training speed compared with a free Alpha clone, unlocks advanced skills, and opens up the full fleet of 350+ ships, per EVE's support pages. Alpha clones are limited to Tech 1 ships, from frigates up to battleships.
It still felt like the way the game is intended to be played. Without Omega, everything is just so slow.
Omega vs Alpha at a Glance
| Feature | Alpha (Free) | Omega (Paid) |
|---|---|---|
| Skill training speed | Standard | 2× faster |
| Ship access | Tech 1 only (frigates to battleships) | All 350+ ships |
| Advanced skills | Locked | Unlocked |
| Monthly cost | $0 | $11–$20 |
What Did I Actually Do in EVE Online?
Missions and mining, as with most of the games I play. I really like the resource grind side of it, and I still have no patience for PvP. There are very few games I've got patience for PvP in that aren't League of Legends.
Both are PvE activities in EVE: missions come from agents in stations, and mining means working asteroid belts for ore, so you can play that way without picking fights with other players. It's the same resource grind I enjoy in games like 7 Days to Die solo.
Can You Play EVE Online Solo?
You can, but it's going to be rough. Playing solo is a very different experience from being in a corporation , what EVE calls its player groups. Corporations can band together into alliances, and alliances are the ones that claim null-security space, per EVE Academy.
I've always played EVE solo, even when my friends were playing. If not solo, I'd be in a group of three people at most. I've never been in a big group, or anything that could be called a corporation. So it can be done. Fun is subjective, so whether you enjoy it that way is entirely up to you.
How Many People Play EVE Online in 2026?
On Steam, a few thousand at a time. EVE Online had 3,427 players online through Steam on the morning of 9 October 2026, per the Steam API, and a 24-hour peak of 5,433, per SteamCharts. Steam only counts people who launch through Steam, so the real number active in EVE's universe is higher.
Its Steam reviews sit at Mostly Positive, with 73% of nearly 40,000 reviews positive, per its Steam page. That's lower than most of the games I play, and it fits a game that's known for being slow and hard to get into without help.
Why Did I Stop Playing EVE Online?
Time. I just don't have the time or the patience for it, given how many other massive games I play that also demand a lot of hours. Something had to give, and EVE was it.
I still had more fun with it this time than I did nearly 20 years ago. It's free to start, and if you try it, Omega is where I'd put the $20 , just remember to cancel before it rolls over.
