“Spreadsheet simulator” EVE Online is getting real Microsoft Excel support

EVE Online is getting official support for Microsoft Excel.

Fans have jokingly called EVE Online a “spreadsheet simulator” for years because, well, a lot of the MMO involves looking at spreadsheets. In 2020, the game even got a spreadsheets-only mode, making it easier for you to keep track of massive space battles even when your computer can’t handle rendering all those ships.

As part of the EVE Fanfest today, developer CCP Games announced that a new JavaScript API will allow players to directly export spreadsheet data into Microsoft Excel, which will “help players access and calculate everything from profit margins to battle strategy, making day-to-day EVE operations easier to execute.”

It’s an official partnership with Microsoft, and the devs plan to share more details later this year.

While it might sound like a meme, the announcement drew a strong reaction from the crowd at Fanfest. CCP says Excel support is “another step toward CCP’s goal of making the MMO more accessible for both casual and seasoned players.” The devs also have plans to modernize EVE, with audio and visual overhauls as well as an improved user interface in the works.

EVE Online is also getting a series of story events called arcs which will provide years-long dynamic stories to expand the game’s NPC empires.

“With arcs, we’re setting EVE up for the next chapter with a steady stream of narrative-driven content that emphasizes player actions and decisions,” creative director Bergur Finnbogason says in a press release. “Veterans of the Triglavian Invasion may recall the fall of Pochven that altered trade routes and supply chains across New Eden - the narratives coming with arcs can have similar effects.”

With or without spreadsheets, EVE Online's million dollar wars are the stuff of legend, even if they don't always live up to the billing.