In the last days, in the virtual universe of the game EVE Online the greatest space war in the history of the Internet was fought with over 7,500 people involved in what has been called the Bloodbath of B-R5RB. In the course of about 21 hours the level of destruction has reached levels never seen in an online game but the damages from this war are not all virtual. In fact, the cost in ISK, the virtual currency used in EVE Online, have a real equivalent whose official estimate is between $300,000 and $330,000.
EVE Online is an MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game), a role-playing game on the Internet where anyone can create their own character and their life in this virtual universe. Created in 2003, EVE Online has over 500,000 subscribers who are divided into various factions that inhabit a virtual science fiction universe set in a future civilization that has colonized the galaxy.
The virtual war that has caused so much damage has started on January 27, 2014, when the authorities tried to get the payment of the sovereignty tax over the B-R5RB system but with no successful because the H A V O C corporation hadn’t set up automatic payment. For this reason, it lost sovereignty over the system, which at that point became a potential target of conquest for other corporations.
The strategic location of the system B-R5RB caused the beginning of a series of military maneuvers by various coalitions. The Clusterfuck Coalition (CFC) and its Russian Coalition allies attacked the system, forcing the Pandemic Legion coalition, of which the H A V O C corporation is part, and its allied N3 Coalition to try to defend their positions in the system. Eventually, though, they had to withdraw from the system.
The actual war lasted about 12 hours, causing the destruction of a large amount of virtual starships, including 75 Titans, huge space battleships. To have a comparison, the biggest destruction ever reached before the bloodbath of B-R5RB had caused the loss of 12 Titans.
Players pay a monthly subscription and spaceships have a cost, hence the estimate of the equivalence of 11 triillion ISK with $300.000-330.000. Actually, ISKs can also be obtained in the course of the game in ways different from paying with real money. However, the costs of building a starship must be at least partially paid for with real money.
A virtual monument called Titanomachy was created to commemorate the great battle. This story might be used for very interesting possible sociological analyzes because thousands of people have invested time and resources in EVE Online. It would be interesting to know from those who have participated in the bloodbath of B-R5RB if it was worth it.
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