The last time EVE Fanfest took place as an in-person event, our intrepid senior reporter Steven Messner got drunk, got naked, got in a hot tub, and discussed the potentialities of machine sentience with the developers—pretty much par for the course at these events, as I understand it. The annual EVE Online convention was cancelled in 2020 and ’21 because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but CCP announced today that it’s returning for 2022.
EVE Fanfest 2022 is set to run May 6-7 in Reykjavik, Iceland, and will include presentations from developers and experts (including Scott Manley, the guy who spent $33,000 for a rare Gold Magnate ship in early 2020), roundtable talks, a player tournament, and “the legendary pub crawl as well as the Party at the Top of the World,” which are apparently separate things. Two days, two parties—I guess it makes sense.
“Fanfest will be returning to its roots for the 2022 event,” CCP said. “Laugardalshöll arena is the chosen venue this time, the scene of many a beloved Fanfest in the past – and home to Riot’s Worlds! This one-time-only return to Laugardalshöll will be your chance to witness how the EVE community and development teams embrace one another, bringing legendary levels of fun and camaraderie to the gathering.”
The announcement notes that “Iceland is safe to travel to,” but notes that anyone attending will have to provide proof of vaccination when entering the country. Depending on how things are going when the event takes place—hopefully much better, but quite possibly not—attendees may also be required to take a Covid-19 test before being allowed admittance to the arena, “to ensure that we can enjoy each other’s company without worry.”
Tickets for EVE Fanfest run from $150 for the “Super Early Bird” to a regular price of $295. If you can stretch your time in Iceland out a bit, other “unofficial” events (not included in the ticket price, sorry to say) will be happening from October 5-8. Details on that action will be shared soon.