‘EVE: Valkyrie’ takes space battles to the ground in new update

CCP has revealed that it’s bringing ground-level skirmishes to EVE: Valkyrie for the first time. Announced during a Keynote at CCP’s annual EVE Fanfest, new map Solitude sees players battling it out on a remote planet as they weave their way through tight-knit passageways. Thankfully, the new map won’t cost players a penny, coming as a part of the game’s fifth free update : ‘Groundrush’.

Aside from Solitude, the patch will also add more variety to Valkyrie’s Weekly Wormhole events as well as making previously competitive-only modes Carrier Assault and Control, co-op. PC owners will be pleased to hear that the patch also adds in Steam Controller support.

I got to try a preview build at Fanfest, and the map added a welcome level of variety to online dogfights. Swapping the darkness and solitude of space for a brightly lit snowy landscape, the mix of wide open spaces and claustrophobic corridors added a new dimension to battles.Frantically maneuvering around Solitude with all the elegance of a drunken pigeon, I soon found myself soaring into some intense one-on-one skirmishes.

For those who have already played Valkyrie, the new free map offers a refreshing new aesthetic with a fun twist, rather than a revolutionary new approach to gameplay. Yet with multiplayer VR games like RIGS falling by the way-side, CCP’s commitment to providing players with more content will certainly be welcomed by PSVR owners.

Groundrush will be soaring its way onto PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive next Tuesday.