When it comes to the most remarkable events in the history of online role-playing games, a diabolical community action from Eve Online must not be missing. In the course of the MMORPG theme week 2025 MeinMMO looks back.
What is behind the betrayal? The huge universe of Eve Online has always been characterized by an enormous freedom, thanks to which players can actually have a significant influence on the power dynamics in the MMORPG.
For instance, it is possible with a lot of effort and energy to become the CEO of an intergalactic organization that exerts great influence on the economy, wars, and politics of Eve Online. You belong to the richest and most powerful players in the universe. Everyone knows your name.
And suddenly everything is gone. Destroyed by a subversive guild that had pursued this one goal for almost a year: to destroy you. Sounds intense, right? Welcome to one of the most legendary heists in MMORPG history!
The “Guiding Hand Social Club”
How did the guild achieve this? Not through rule-breaking or cheats. But with a long-planned strategy and a lot of patience. Carried out by the “Guiding Hand Social Club”, a community that specializes in espionage, sabotage, and contract killings.
At some point in 2005, an anonymous client supposedly offered the “Guiding Hand Social Club” a lucrative job. The target was Mirial, the CEO of the powerful organization “Ubiqua Seraph”.
The reward: 1 billion ISK, the in-game currency in Eve Online, which was an incredibly high sum 20 years ago. Additionally, the community was allowed to keep everything they could steal from “Ubiqua Seraph” as part of the contract.
The simple reason for the job: probably revenge. The client only had it in for Mirial’s corpse. Why exactly? That remains unclear to this day.
On the YouTube channel Hit oder Shit, you can find a well-prepared summary of the story in just about 11 minutes:
How did the guild proceed? The “Guiding Hand Social Club” infiltrated multiple members into Mirial’s organization simultaneously. And indeed, many managed to slowly work their way up within “Ubiqua Seraph” for over 10 months. Several agents were able to achieve high positions.
A key role was taken by a certain “Arenis Xemdal”. He became the seemingly loyal officer of “Ubiqua Seraph”, who gradually gained access to resources, strategic information, meetings, exclusive chats, locations, and even Mirial herself. In the end, his opinion carried so much weight that he could even influence the CEO’s decisions.
One day, the spy managed to convince Mirial to go on a joint outing with her most valuable spaceships – to publicly demonstrate strength together. Xemdal led his prey into a deserted sector, far away from her true allies.
During this week, exciting articles about MMORPGs await you every day. Included: a journey through the history of online role-playing games, as well as nostalgic retrospectives, streaming evenings, interviews, columns, and analyses.
Here is the program for the big MMORPG theme week 2025 by MeinMMO
The trap was sprung, triggered by the code word “Nicole”. Suddenly, spaceships from the “Guiding Hand Social Club” appeared from all directions. Mirial had no chance. Before she could log out, Xemdal collected her digital body. Mission accomplished! But that was only the beginning.
The espionage club took the opportunity and the access they had built up over 10 months to plunder the wealth of “Ubiqua Seraph”. The guild leader later said: “We had the key to Fort Knox in our hands”. Ships, resources, and more worth 30 billion ISK were reportedly seized by the robbers at that time. At that time, this corresponded to a real money value of 16,500 USD.
The story of the heist and betrayal quickly spread, even outside of Eve Online. Some condemned the action, while others were fascinated that such a thing was possible in a game at all. An article about another community milestone in the history of MMORPGs talks about: One of the most memorable MMORPG moments turns 26 years old – How a player accidentally committed regicide in Ultima Online
