Tell us how EVE has changed your life for the better!

Much like EVE Online has evolved over its 20-year history, so have I.

I started playing EVE Online in 2009, intrigued by the idea of ratting amongst the asteroid belts in a Rokh.

Little did I know what I was getting involved with.

Since 2009, I have progressed from mining to missions to transport to combat to incursions, with even null-sec operations and supercarrier-krabbing under my belt.

EVE Online has had a positive influence upon me, especially with the idea that it has made me a wiser and more learned man with respect to finances and protection against scams.

I often draw comparisons to EVE Online and how conducting oneself in EVE mirrors how one might conduct oneself in reality. There are many similarities to how one approaches life out of EVE, as well as within.

The major lessons that stick with me include a sense of maintaining financial responsibility, caution before making great or large purchases, avoiding living beyond your means, dodging scam attempts, and in particular “Don’t sign a contract before reading it.” That’s saved my bacon in EVE Online, as well as with false job applications and even product purchases. You have no idea how slimy some end user license agreements or purchasing contracts can be for everyday items (including smartphones, especially considering I once worked for a major cellular service provider). With respect to financial stability and responsibility, I never make major purchases in EVE Online unless I have the means of recovering from my expenditures and closing my efforts at an “ISK-positive status” (i.e., progressing beyond the highest point of financial achievement that my wallet has ever maintained). In this manner, my total ISK value has progressively increased over the last 16 years, and I have never closed a year in the negative.

My real life has mirrored similar success. Since finding full-time employment in as a pizza delivery driver when I was down to the last $500 in my bank account in 2014, I have continually achieved better financial circumstances. In 7 years, I became a cybersecurity administrator for a major corporation, and am now in a position to invest in the stock market, live my life with some sense of entertainment, and save for a place of my own (although I never forgot where I came from and how much I struggled throughout my career). I never forgot the lessons EVE taught me – to mind my expenditures, to save money and spend it responsibly, and never invest in anything unless you are able to recover from it in the event of disaster (or it looks really untrustworthy).

EVE Online also taught me to stand up for myself and my friends – to learn how to defend myself when attacked or a scam attempt lands in my inbox. While I wasn’t in a circumstance where I was being physically threatened, I know how to resist efforts to subject me to a scam attempt or take advantage of my trust to deprive me financially, even beyond my cybersecurity training. I’m not afraid to file reports, to submit requests for inquiry into illicit financial activity, and most certainly, I know what to look for when it comes to unsavory individuals trying to scam innocent people out of their hotel rooms for conventions.

I now serve as a chat moderator for a number of major groups and conventions, and I have become something of an expert in identifying scam attempts. Whereas many will simply block a scammer and move on, I actively reach out to administrators of chat channels to report these individuals and have them removed to protect the group. I am now working the logistics of hosting panels at the conventions I attend on how to spot, evade, and decimate fake hotel reservation offer scams, and how to properly advertise your own hotel room legitimately.

EVE Online may be a game, but it’s a game that can teach real-life lessons, if you are willing to learn.

I still remember the first time I undocked from a station in EVE Online. The void of space, the silence, the endless opportunities—it was overwhelming. I was just some generic guy looking for a sci-fi game to waste time. I never imagined that a game would change my life.

I was struggling at the time. Isolated, aimless, and to be honest. a little lost. But in EVE, I found a strange kind of freedom. I wasn't just "me" anymore—I was a capsuleer, a pilot in a world where drive, cunning, and community meant everything.

I joined a corporation with a group of strangers, and through the time I spent with them, they became friends. We fought together in wars that lasted for weeks. We pulled 3 AM shifts organizing fleet movements and logistics. I learned about diplomacy, leadership, and keeping a cool head when everything is ablaze—literally and figuratively.

I was leading a fleet of over 80 pilots one day. Me. The guy who was too afraid to even speak in voice chat. That's when it struck me: EVE hadn't just provided a game for me. It gave me confidence, direction, and a community.

To this day, some of my closest friends started at EVE. We've met in person, had beers and laughed, and shared stories that started in-game but became something more.

EVE Online didn't just change my life. It reminded me how much I could do—how far I could stretch, even from the lowest point, with the right people around me

It is crazy to think that EVE is 22 years old this year. It has been a part of my life for so long, and has vastly influenced my trajectory in life.

I first played EVE in 2007-2008, but didn't fully invest by keeping my character until 2010. Spending time to create a character from each race to then choose the one I liked most. I spent time mining, scanning, running missions, and just chatting in the starter corp chat channel.

However, what really got it's hooks into me was the aspect of developing for EVE. First with the XML api, CREST, and now ESI. I taught myself development, building things like PI applications, mobile contact apps, character management, wormhole mappers, discord bots, and more.

During the process of all the things I have built, I was invited to windows phone developer events, recognized for my expertise in different technologies, built systems millions now use for deployment, became a partner, have tools many use on a daily basis, and even got my current job! I spent so long trying to get into the game industry, and my EVE tools showed that I am not only a very good developer and architect, but I can do what full teams do which lead to me getting a job offer.

On top of that, I have made so many life long friends through this game. I went to Fanfest as a gift to myself over 10 years ago, and I joined a wormhole group there. Despite so many of them no longer playing, I play Dungeons and Dragons with a group of them every week! I went to Paris for the first time to visit another, attended multiple weddings for other capsuleers, and look forward to EVE Meets every time they come up (Vegas, Toronto, Missouri, Iceland, etc).

In general, EVE has become a huge part of my life with friends all around the globe, encouraging even more travel, furthering my career, and helping me with my confidence and ways I go about thinking about problems.

Despite the face EVE can be a scary place, I heavily suggest anyone to jump in and experience this incredible game and community as it is so much more than just a game.

Initially it could be chaotic and difficult to understand, but once you take your hand, it becomes a relaxing game, ideal for leaving the problems of life aside, and immersing yourself in the splendid atmosphere it offers, ideal especially for space lovers. As a fan of Star Wars, I certainly could not miss it, even if in some ways he remembers Star Trek more, in any case it is the game for everyone but not for everyone, what do I want to say? Simple, that as mentioned, once you take your hand, it becomes one of those titles that you cannot discourage you, and not only for the simple relaxation but also for the fun it offers, you just have to give it a chance and dedicate the time you need.

it might sound strange, especially considering how complex EVE Online is, but for me, it’s a surprisingly comfortable and relaxing space.

I’ve come to see it as a kind of digital home - a place I can always return to, no matter how long I’ve been away. That comfort comes from how consistent the game has been over the years. The core mechanics haven’t changed drastically in decades, and that familiarity means I never feel lost when I log in again.

That doesn’t mean it’s stale. Every time I play, I learn something new: wniche mechanic, a player-made tactic, or a bit of game history someone casually drops in chat. What’s impressive is, how smoothly new features or systems tend to fit into the existing framework. It feels like everything in EVE follows the same underlying logic you started learning from day one.

After a session in-game, I often feel more focused, more confident. EVE Online might be known for its intense PvP, crazy economies, and high-stakes politics, but for me, it’s also a space to learn, and reset. That’s how it’s changed my life: by giving me a universe where I can both challenge myself and recharge.