In Brief:
- Fenris Creations has released Carbon, the game engine framework behind EVE Online, as open source.
- Carbon supports EVE Online’s single-shard universe and now includes more than two dozen modules, enhancing the development community’s access.
- This move aims to deepen player participation and transparency for the upcoming EVE Frontier, a hardcore space survival MMO.
Fenris Creations opens up Carbon framework
Fenris Creations has made Carbon, the foundational game engine for EVE Online, available as open source. This essential technology has powered the game for over 20 years, enabling record-setting battles with thousands of concurrent players.
The open-sourcing follows the earlier release of the Trinity rendering engine, expanding the technology stack to include over 24 Carbon modules. These cover a wide range of functionalities such as physics simulation, networking, UI, audio, and resource management.
Ben Hunter, senior development director for core technology, explained, “Carbon was built for a very specific purpose: to support living virtual worlds that can endure for decades.” He further noted that this initiative aims to make the framework more accessible and useful to a broader audience.
Implications for EVE Frontier
The significance of this release lies in its potential impact on EVE Frontier, which aims to be a hardcore space survival MMO focusing on player freedom and long-term agency. For this vision to succeed, Fenris needs to offer a framework that third-party developers can explore and enhance.
Making Carbon open source is essential for this purpose. EVE players have historically engaged with the game through tools and systems, and this initiative extends that collaborative spirit into the framework itself. By doing so, Fenris indicates a desire to cultivate a culture of technical cooperation surrounding the game.
Longevity and player engagement
For EVE Frontier to thrive as a moddable environment, access to the underlying systems is critical. This transparency enables developers and skilled players to build tools, grasp the mechanics of the game, and collaborate on ongoing improvements.
The move also highlights the importance of longevity in persistent online worlds, which require evolution over many years. By open-sourcing Carbon, Fenris emphasizes that the technology driving these worlds should be transparent and not solely under studio control.
While open-sourcing is a significant step, it doesn’t guarantee EVE Frontier’s success. Effective game design and player engagement strategies remain vital. However, this initiative lends credibility to the project. If Fenris aims to create a living world shaped by its community, opening the technology is a necessary initial move.
EVE Frontier is currently available to play in its Cycle 6. More information about Carbon can be found on the Fenris website.
