EVE Online expands into Cold War

Fans of the EVE Online franchise may have noticed a blip approaching on the radars. No, it's not a pirate battlecruiser ready to do some cosmic pillaging; it's the latest content upgrade for the massively multiplayer online role-playing game. Icelandic developer CCP Games today announced that EVE Online: Cold War Edition will be available for download on the game's Web site in July.

Cold War is a large upgrade--bigger than a simple patch, but smaller than a proper expansion. There's no need for gamers to go checking their bank balances for funds, because the Cold War Edition will be free.

"The Cold War Edition is an important chapter in the EVE story and will set the stage for the next expansion coming out later in the year," said Magnus Bergsson, CMO of CCP Games.

Features include the obligatory new areas to explore and technology advancements, as well as enemy dreadnoughts, space-age outposts, and massive-capacity freighters.

For more details on EVE Online: Cold War Edition, steer a course for the game's official Web site. To learn more about the original EO installment, head over to GameSpot's previous coverage of EVE Online: The Second Genesis.