Google DeepMind to Test AI Models in EVE Online

Google DeepMind has taken a minority stake in Fenris Creations, the developer of EVE Online, and formed a research partnership. The aim is to study intelligence in complex, dynamic, player-driven systems, and experiments will be conducted by running a specially designed offline version, separate from the online service, on local servers. The two companies are also exploring new game experiences using this technology.

Fenris purchased itself from its former parent company Pearl Abyss for $120 million to become independent, and decided to use the new name Fenris Creations. There will be no restructuring or layoffs, and the split was driven by differences in operational context, current strategic focus, and long-term priorities.

DeepMind has used games as testing grounds for AI validation following Go, Atari, and StarCraft, and has recently expanded its scope to include virtual world models that learn real-world behavior. EVE Online was assessed as a living world well suited to testing long-term planning, memory, and continual learning.

Fenris/CCP reported losses of nearly $20 million each in 2023 and 2024, affected by development costs for EVE Frontier and EVE Vanguard, but stated that it achieved $70 million in revenue and turned profitable in 2025. Since becoming independent, internal control has enabled longer-term strategic decisions, which the company views as an extension of its EVE Forever philosophy.