EVE Vanguard Announces Summer 2026 Early Access Phase, With Next Open Play Session This Fall

The next dates for players to be able to hop into EVE Vanguard, including an early release window, have been announced as part of this year’s EVE Fanfest. 

Vanguard’s next major public play period will take place this fall, starting September 16, 2025. This period, titled “Nemesis,” will be the next, and likely final, opportunity for players to jump in and give feedback, promising the chance for players to “deploy into planet-side combat.”

The Early Access release of Vanguard will come in Summer 2026, with no specific date yet. 

Vanguard’s last open play period was this past November into December. The “Groundbreak” event allowed players to engage in a PvPvE game mode that let players fight over territory and gather resources—and shape whether the Deathless could let their technology corrupt the lands and fellow clones.  

Meanwhile (and much sooner), EVE Online proper will be getting its own new expansion later this month with a ton of nifty new features and balancing updates.