Google Deepmind takes a stake in EVE Online studio to test AI models

Google Deepmind is acquiring a minority stake in the studio behind the space MMO EVE Online and will use the game as a testing ground for AI models. At the same time, developer CCP Games is buying itself back from South Korean owner Pearl Abyss for $120 million - a significant discount from the $225 million Pearl Abyss paid in 2018 - and rebranding as Fenris Creations.

Deepmind is operating an offline version of EVE Online on a local server to study how models handle long-term planning, memory, and continuous learning. The live server Tranquility remains untouched and unaffected by the research.

Deepmind has a long history of using games as AI testing environments, from AlphaGo to AlphaStar to Atari benchmarks. According to Deepmind director Alexandre Moufarek, EVE's complexity makes it a strong sandbox for general AI research. Fenris CEO Hilmar Veigar Pétursson plans to share more details in mid-May.