Its official! EVE Online have today announced the launch of the games 10^th free expansion. It has been confirmed that the release date for EVE Online: Apocrypha will indeed be March 10^th, 2009. The official press release details:

The fabric of space itself will be transformed as vast, unpredictable wormholes open to connect previously unexplored regions of the universe to the stars of New Eden. The seeds of advanced new technology await inside of these cosmic anomalies for those brave enough to explore them. This infusion of technology will enable production of the most dynamic vessels ever – Tech 3 modular ships with an astounding amount of customizability that can fill any role from skirmish muscle to industrial support.

Furthermore, NPC agents in EVE Online: Apocrypha will be authorized to assign Epic Mission Arcs to the pilots of New Eden. These branching, far-reaching mission strings are full of meaningful stories and more intelligent and deadly adversaries.

In addition, we are offering an entirely reworked New Player Experience for those joining (or rejoining) the game – giving them better insight into how to thrive in a truly limitless universe. We’ve already launched EVElopedia—a great repository for information on all things EVE where our players are also building their own living history of the previous five years of Alliance warfare, political intrigue and nostalgic recollection.

With 250′000 subscribers to the game it will be interesting to see if this next instalment will tickle the taste buds of fresh fans or simply tantalise the current player base. However, the expansion will hit the stores in March with the option for existing subscribers to download from the this location. Happy flying!