Google DeepMind acquires stake in Fenris Creations to test AI in EVE Online
Experiments will run on an offline version of the game, ensuring no disruption to the live player experience while Fenris Creations reports its return to profitability.
Google DeepMind has acquired a minority stake in Fenris Creations, the developer behind the massively multiplayer online role-playing game EVE Online. The collaboration is designed to utilise the game's intricate, player-driven economy as a testing ground for artificial intelligence models. Specifically, the research focuses on studying long-horizon planning, memory, and continual learning within dynamic systems that mimic real-world complexity.
This strategic move follows Fenris Creations' recent independence from South Korean publisher Pearl Abyss. The developer purchased the company for $120 million to separate from its former owners, rebranding from CCP Games to Fenris Creations. While the two entities have distinct histories, the new partnership highlights a shared interest in leveraging virtual environments for advanced machine learning research.
The joint venture will conduct controlled experiments on a specially designed offline version of EVE Online running on a local server. This approach ensures that the testing of AI models does not directly impact the experience of online players or the stability of the live game server. Both companies have indicated they will also explore new gameplay experiences enabled by these emerging technologies.
Fenris CEO Hilmar Veigar Pétursson described EVE Online as a uniquely rich environment where questions about intelligence can be explored inside a system that already behaves like a living world. He noted that the game allows models to explore difficult problems, long timelines, and strange possibilities in a safe sandbox. Google DeepMind Director Alexandre Moufarek echoed this sentiment, calling the community-created simulation unparalleled for testing general-purpose artificial intelligence.
Financially, the studio is in a stronger position than in recent years. Fenris Creations reported profitability in 2025 with $70 million in revenue, reversing previous annual losses that were attributed to costly spinoff projects like EVE Frontier and EVE Vanguard. The company maintains strong reserves and now has the autonomy to make long-term strategic decisions regarding the future of the New Eden universe.
The partnership underscores a growing trend of using virtual worlds to train AI, following DeepMind's previous successes in complex board games and real-time strategy titles. By combining the unique data density of EVE Online with DeepMind's computational expertise, the collaboration aims to push the frontier of artificial intelligence while preserving the integrity of the game for its dedicated player base.
