EVE Online Developer Rebrands to Distinguish Itself from Chinese Communist Party

For over two decades, the studio behind the iconic space MMO EVE Online has been known as Crowd Control Productions, commonly abbreviated to CCP in discussions and articles. Recently, this has led to some confusion with the century-old Chinese Communist Party, prompting the company to rebrand as it separates from its former owner, the publisher of Crimson Desert, and embarks on a new chapter.

In a recent chat, Hilmar Veigar Pétursson, the CEO of Fenris Creations (formerly CCP), shared insights on the timing of this change after so many years. He noted a rising “brand collision” between the studio and the Chinese Communist Party.

“It’s a growing collision,” Veigar stated. “I’m not going to engage in a battle over the CCP name. The Chinese Communist Party doesn’t identify as the CCP; that’s a Western term. In Iceland, we refer to it as the Kommúnistaflokkur Kína.”

However, he pointed out that in many English-speaking regions, the confusion has become increasingly prevalent.

“I’ve seen journalists refer to us as ‘the other CCP.’ We have employees traveling to the US who face questions about our name. These may seem like minor issues, but I can see where this is heading,” the EVE Online leader remarked. With the recent announcement that Fenris is going indie again and buying itself back, it felt like the right moment for a name change.

“We were already making all these changes,” Veigar explained. “It’s a good time to do it; if we don’t do it now, when will we?”

The new name, Fenris Creations, draws from Norse mythology and also pays homage to a board game the company published back in 1998. It connects to EVE Online, which has generated countless epic tales over the years, often centered around themes of death and destruction—elements that the new name reflects.

“Fenris Creations symbolizes the interplay of destruction and creation, highlighting how death is a significant aspect of EVE Online,” the CEO elaborated.

“When ships explode, there’s a certain beauty in that destruction. The name carries profound meaning for us, as we explored the best way to express our identity.”