So, you’ve clicked on a video—or maybe stumbled across this article—because the legend of EVE Online finally caught up to your curiosity. Maybe it was the stories of colossal thousand-player wars, the deeply entrenched player-run economy, or those wild tales of betrayal and loss that made you think: What is this game, and can I actually play it?You’ve probably also heard the warnings—EVE’s learning curve is less like a curve and more like a vertical wall of text. And you know what? That’s not far from the truth. But let’s get one thing straight: it’s absolutely worth it.

Welcome to EVE Online. I’m here to walk you through how to actually start in this universe-sized sandbox, and why the updated beginner systems in 2025 make this the best time yet to jump in.

The Good News First: EVE Wants You to Learn

For years, EVE Online was infamous for leaving new players adrift in a sea of menus and space jargon. But CCP Games has finally leaned into making the early game smoother. Enter: the AIR Career Program, a reimagined approach to onboarding that doesn’t just tell you what to do—it shows you, bit by bit, how each piece of the EVE universe fits together.

This system is structured around four main playstyles:

• Enforcer
• Explorer
• Industrialist
• Soldier of Fortune

Each of these categories introduces a different core aspect of the game. And no, you’re not forced to pick one and stick with it—this is EVE. The whole point is finding your own way.

Enforcer – Mastering the Basics of Combat

If you’re brand new, start here. The Enforcer track is all about player versus environment (PvE) gameplay. You’ll run missions, grind NPC standings, explore combat sites, and collect bounties. Most importantly, this path teaches you how to survive in space—which, frankly, is kind of important in a game where loss is permanent.

These early missions ease you into the systems that define EVE combat—managing range, understanding targeting, learning how ship modules affect performance. Don’t rush. Take your time. Learning how to fight means learning how not to die, and that lesson alone will save you millions in ship losses down the road.

Explorer – The Thrill and Terror of the Unknown

Once you’ve got some confidence, or if you’re just a sucker for risk and reward, the Explorer career offers one of the most adrenaline-fueled experiences in the game. You’ll learn how to scan down cosmic anomalies, hack into data and relic sites, slip through wormholes, harvest gas from hidden pockets of space, and more.

Exploration is about knowledge, patience, and knowing when to run. It’s not all money and mystery—sometimes you’ll be jumping into traps, or barely warping away from death. But the payoff can be huge, and the stories even bigger. It’s solo-friendly, tense, and surprisingly deep.

Industrialist – The Engine Behind Everything

If EVE is a machine, industrialists are the gears grinding behind the scenes. This career track teaches you how to harvest resources, mine asteroids, manufacture ships and modules, and understand the flow of EVE’s economy.

You’ll get hands-on experience with the market, hauling, production chains, and more. Want to be the one building ships others fight in? This is your road. While it may seem slow-paced at first, the Industrialist path reveals the strategic, long-term planning side of EVE, where power often comes from wealth and logistics, not lasers and missiles.

Soldier of Fortune – Embrace the Chaos

This is the PvP track, and it’s not for the faint of heart. You’ll learn the fundamentals of player-versus-player combat—electronic warfare, dueling, faction warfare, logistics support, and more. You will lose ships here, that’s a guarantee. But you’ll gain something far more valuable: awareness.

Understanding how players fight, how they bait, how they gank, and how they support each other in combat fleets is key to survival anywhere in EVE. Every veteran has a dozen wrecks behind them. Don’t worry about losses—consider them tuition fees.

Skill Points and Time: Your Silent Progress

One of the most unique things about EVE is its skill system. Skills train in real-time, even when you’re offline. That means setting up a proper skill queue is one of the most important early habits you can develop. As you sleep, eat, or work, your character gets stronger.

There are a few essential skills that every player should consider, like CPU Management and Power Grid Management, but in general: train what matches your goals. Want to mine? Train mining. Want to fight? Train weapons and ship upgrades. EVE’s open nature means there’s no “right” path, just what suits your ambition.

You’re Not Alone: Join a Corporation

This is where many new players either thrive or burn out. EVE is, at its core, a social game. The universe is cold and uncaring—but players are not. Most corporations (guilds) are more than happy to help new players learn the ropes.

Whether it’s weekly mining ops, faction warfare fleets, or pirate hunting, corps often provide structure, resources, and mentorship. They also give you real goals to work toward, like building capital ships or defending territory. Don’t be afraid to reach out—everyone started somewhere.

The Agency – Your Next Guidepost

After you’ve explored the AIR Career Program, head to the Agency Window. This is your next step. It offers curated content like incursions, epic arcs, events, and access to more advanced mission agents. Think of it as your post-tutorial map, full of places to go and things to do once you’ve found your footing.

Final Words – This Is Just the Surface

Everything covered here barely scratches the surface. EVE Online is deep, complex, and utterly unique. The AIR Career Program is your gateway to understanding what you enjoy most. Whether you end up a space trucker, mercenary, diplomat, pirate, or CEO of an industrial empire—it starts here.

Set your skill queue. Fly safe. Join a corp. And remember: every wreck is a lesson, every kill a story.