First Update to EVE Frontier’s Economic Policy Starts Today
REYKJAVÍK, Iceland – March 6, 2025 – CCP Games welcomes the appointment of Stefán Þórarinsson as its new Head of Economy. Formerly an economist at the Central Bank of Iceland, Stefán brings extensive expertise in macroeconomic analysis, monetary policy, and market dynamics. His joining marks the next step in CCP Games’ commitment to deepening the legitimacy of virtual economies and pioneering research in the games industry.
For over two decades, EVE Online has established the benchmark for in-game economies, becoming the definitive example of a player-driven financial system. With EVE Frontier, CCP Games is taking an unprecedented approach to refining and legitimizing the concept, ensuring that in-game financial systems operate with the same diligence and analysis applied to real-world economies. Under Stefán’s leadership, EVE Frontier will continue the work of Dr. Eyjólfur Guðmundsson, whose appointment as the Lead Economist for EVE Online was a landmark first for massively multiplayer virtual worlds. Dr. Guðmundsson’s foundational contributions to in-depth economic models and monetary policies will now continue with EVE Frontier and its ability to model advanced economic theories within an open environment. Through this, the company aims to provide valuable insight into digital finance and decentralized economic systems.
“Virtual economies are no longer just systems of play; they are living, evolving financial systems that demand serious study,” said Stefán Þórarinsson, Head of Economy. “CCP Games is leading the charge in bridging the gap between in-game economies and real-world financial principles, and I am excited to contribute to this body of innovative work. We aim not just to simulate a wide variety of economic activity but to study, refine, and validate how virtual economies function at scale; EVE Frontier will set the standard for how these systems can be structured, regulated, and understood.”
As part of this commitment, CCP Games is launching a series of comprehensive economic updates within EVE Frontier, starting today. This initiative will analyze fundamental aspects of the economy, with the first update to the Frontier Economic Policy (Update I) including:
- Monetary Policy & Inflation: Understanding how economic levers influence pricing, currency stability, and market behavior in a fully player-driven world.
- Market Equilibrium & Trade Dynamics: Exploring how supply and demand fluctuate based on player and NPC interactions.
- Assets & Currency Flows: Assessing the integration of digital assets and their impact on in-game economic activity.
- Behavioral Economics in Virtual Worlds: Gathering data on player decision-making, financial speculation, and economic adaptation.
“Stefán Þórarinsson’s appointment advances our goal toward building a truly open financial system within a virtual world,” said Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, CEO of CCP Games. “Since our inception, we have strived to create worlds where players transcend the constraints of our own design — a story that has played out within EVE Online as it enters its third decade of operation. With EVE Frontier, we want to be bolder: Stefán’s experience from the Central Bank of Iceland adds vital rigor as we continue to design our economy and open it up to players. By removing currency controls and fostering emergent value systems, EVE Frontier will redefine virtual nation-building, offering insights into both digital and real-world economies.”
To ensure meaningful insight, the updates will be conducted in a fully controlled environment through Founder Access, allowing CCP Games to model, predict, and optimize how virtual economies function under different conditions, using academic and institutional methodologies. A key step in the company’s ongoing mission to push the boundaries of virtual worlds, the results will inform both the development of EVE Frontier and the broader conversation about how digital economies can be examined, structured and sustained in the future.
For more information about EVE Frontier, visit www.evefrontier.com. Assets for EVE Frontier can be found in the press kit.
About EVE Frontier®
EVE Frontier is a Hardcore Survival MMO set in a galaxy filled with thousands of star systems. A massive online sandbox, players awake on the Frontier, a desolate region of space warped by three hyper-massive black holes at the dark heart of the universe. Amidst the crumbling ruins of a long-dead civilization, feral drones destroy and consume what little remains. Upgrade your ship, fortify your base, and fight for survival in a world where every decision means life or death. To learn more, visit www.evefrontier.com.
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About CCP Games
CCP is a leading independently operated game developer that has been praised for its artistry, technology and game design that facilitates emergent behavior, empowering players with compelling means of self-expression. Founded in 1997 on the principle of pushing the envelope and breaking new ground on all levels, CCP is on a mission to create virtual worlds more meaningful than real life. With the launch of EVE Online in May 2003, CCP established itself as a pioneer of cutting-edge massively multiplayer games, winning numerous awards and receiving critical acclaim worldwide. CCP is headquartered in Reykjavik, Iceland, and has additional studios in London and Shanghai.
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Jody Brandow