# High‑Sec Mining in 2026 as a returning player from 6 years ago **URL:** \ **Category:** Mining & Extraction\ **Tags:** pve, high-sec\ **Created:** [March 16, 2026, 8:10pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/high-sec-mining-in-2026-as-a-returning-player-from-6-years-ago/508384 "2026-03-16T20:10:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Christine\_Creed](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/christine_creed/32/510186_2.png) [@Christine\_Creed](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Christine_Creed)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2026, 12:07pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/high-sec-mining-in-2026-as-a-returning-player-from-6-years-ago/508384/21 "2026-03-18T12:07:51Z")
> [@Lucy\_Alfrir](#): > > Maybe they need to up the rewards on interfering with level 4 missions in highsec. > > Ninja Salvaging used to be a profitable business, but I’m not sure how to make it so again without nerfing exploration and pushing the cost of rigs back up. > > Maybe mission pockets could be FW, so if you’re fighting Angels in the mission then Angel Cartel FW players can probe you out and attack you without fear of CONCORD in the mission. Another incredibly bad idea. If you want that kind of action then just go find you a level 5 mission. The dangers and better rewards are already there waiting on you. ---
**Author:** ![Gallentia](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/gallentia/32/493518_2.png) [@Gallentia](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Gallentia)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2026, 9:53pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/high-sec-mining-in-2026-as-a-returning-player-from-6-years-ago/508384/22 "2026-03-18T21:53:17Z")
**“Well, I just hit another skill wall after six years… so here’s my statement:** **💔 ‘EVE has walked away from me.’** **Maybe you fancy boys don’t understand, but what I’m saying isn’t a fairytale — it’s more of a small prediction.** **There will come a time when _you_ are the ones the arrows are pointed at. Not me.”** Closed: ---
**Author:** ![Namdor](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/namdor/32/396179_2.png) [@Namdor](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Namdor)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2026, 10:16pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/high-sec-mining-in-2026-as-a-returning-player-from-6-years-ago/508384/23 "2026-03-18T22:16:48Z")
Love a good word-salad. ---
**Author:** ![Gallentia](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/gallentia/32/493518_2.png) [@Gallentia](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Gallentia)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2026, 10:34pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/high-sec-mining-in-2026-as-a-returning-player-from-6-years-ago/508384/24 "2026-03-18T22:34:58Z")
**Well, I’m stopping Omega again — I’m done.** **This isn’t failure. This isn’t giving up. This is just drawing a line.** And honestly, it’s a line many players are drawing these days, because high‑sec is starting to look very empty lately. And when there are no high‑sec players left, it becomes very “safe” for low‑sec players to roam around… (sarcasm intended). Because the truth is simple: **On top of the subscription, I have to spend money just to avoid stagnating.** That’s exactly how solo players feel now: - you pay just to not fall behind - you pay to bypass skill walls - you pay for access to content that used to be normal - you pay simply to keep moving at all That’s not how a game should feel. And the fact that I activated two accounts this month and am now stopping again doesn’t mean _I_ failed. It means **CCP failed to keep me engaged.** I tried: - I paid - I trained - I searched - I built fits - I mined - I ran missions - I even activated two Omega accounts And what did I get back? - skill walls - complexity - frustration - ship losses - content that no longer fits solo players That kills the enjoyment. And when the enjoyment is gone, why keep paying? (And don’t forget… for an Omega, going back to Alpha is not really an option.) **Yes yes , I quit. But I’ve seen this happen before, and I want to call it what CCP once called it themselves: “emergent gameplay.”** **This is what happens when the ship isn’t turning.** Players in low‑sec and null‑sec often don’t notice when high‑sec begins to empty out, because their style of gameplay doesn’t depend on the presence of high‑sec pilots. They continue mining their own moon ores, running their own ratting sites, looting high‑value drops, and selling everything through corporation buyback programs or directly to NPC orders. Their income streams remain intact, so from their perspective nothing seems wrong. They simply keep flying, earning ISK, and carrying on as usual. High‑sec, however, is where the majority of new and casual players live. It is the region that keeps the game populated, the markets active, and the economy stable. When high‑sec becomes quieter, the first people who feel it are the solo players, the miners, the mission runners, and the new pilots who are trying to find their place. Low‑sec and null‑sec players don’t feel that decline immediately, because their gameplay loop is insulated from it. They shrug, because their wallets stay full and their routines stay the same. But the long‑term impact is not about their comfort. It is about CCP’s direct revenue. High‑sec players make up a large portion of the paying customer base: the Omegas, the Plex buyers, the people who purchase skins and convenience items. When those players leave, the financial hit goes straight to CCP, even if the low‑sec and null‑sec communities barely notice the population drop at first. So while the game may look stable from the outside, the quietness in high‑sec is a warning sign. It shows where the foundation is weakening, even if the players in more profitable regions don’t feel it yet. i have seen it happen before…and i hope not it happens again, but the signs are NOT good. ---
**Author:** ![Lucy\_Alfrir](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/lucy_alfrir/32/382506_2.png) [@Lucy\_Alfrir](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Lucy_Alfrir)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2026, 11:36pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/high-sec-mining-in-2026-as-a-returning-player-from-6-years-ago/508384/25 "2026-03-18T23:36:02Z")
> [@Gallentia](#): > > solo players This here, in an MMO, this is the problem. ---
**Author:** ![Malak\_Starfire](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/malak_starfire/32/501915_2.png) [@Malak\_Starfire](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Malak_Starfire)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2026, 11:36pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/high-sec-mining-in-2026-as-a-returning-player-from-6-years-ago/508384/26 "2026-03-18T23:36:17Z")
It’s fine to not like the game, but CCP made high sec better in the last 6 years, not worse. If you can’t find the value, it just isn’t the game for you, and that’s ok. We tried to steer you in the right path, but you kept saying we were wrong and trusting a bad source of information over veterans of the game and over CCP itself. At this point, there is nothing we can do that will change your mind, so have fun doing something else. ---
**Author:** ![Gallentia](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/gallentia/32/493518_2.png) [@Gallentia](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Gallentia)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2026, 11:47pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/high-sec-mining-in-2026-as-a-returning-player-from-6-years-ago/508384/27 "2026-03-18T23:47:51Z")
**Yes, solo players — the ones who actually pay for their playstyle.** **But not for long, because many of them are already leaving. \> not that it is your problem. its a ccp problem.** ---
**Author:** ![Lucy\_Alfrir](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/lucy_alfrir/32/382506_2.png) [@Lucy\_Alfrir](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Lucy_Alfrir)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2026, 11:52pm UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/high-sec-mining-in-2026-as-a-returning-player-from-6-years-ago/508384/28 "2026-03-18T23:52:49Z")
You’re leaving the game because it is too hard to play solo. Perhaps if you had joined a corp or alliance, preferably a big one, it would not be so hard. EvE is a multiplayer game, it can not be stressed enough how much easier it is to play with a group of other players, the more the merrier. ---
**Author:** ![Gallentia](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/gallentia/32/493518_2.png) [@Gallentia](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Gallentia)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2026, 12:05am UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/high-sec-mining-in-2026-as-a-returning-player-from-6-years-ago/508384/29 "2026-03-19T00:05:22Z")
**I’m not leaving because the game is “too hard” to play solo.** **I’m leaving because the parts of the game that _used_ to support solo players have been slowly eroded over the years.** Joining a big corp doesn’t magically fix that. (i have been there and for solo players it is not as easy as you do sounds like it …) It only hides the problem for the people who are already insulated from it. High‑sec activity is dropping, (i can see it around me) new players are not sticking around, and solo players — the ones who actually pay for their playstyle — are leaving. That’s not my personal issue, and it’s not yours either. It’s a CCP _issue_. **I’ve played long enough to recognize the signs. This isn’t about difficulty. It’s about direction.** Also, **I’m telling you a different story than the one you’re telling me — and it seems you simply can’t see it.** ---
**Author:** ![Malak\_Starfire](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/malak_starfire/32/501915_2.png) [@Malak\_Starfire](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Malak_Starfire)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2026, 12:07am UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/high-sec-mining-in-2026-as-a-returning-player-from-6-years-ago/508384/30 "2026-03-19T00:07:40Z")
> [@Gallentia](#): > > I’m leaving because the parts of the game that _used_ to support solo players have been slowly eroded over the years. Which part? What exactly got worse? It is not mining, as discussed before, as it’s actually gotten better. ---
**Author:** ![Geo\_Eclipse\_Oksaras](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/geo_eclipse_oksaras/32/500781_2.png) [@Geo\_Eclipse\_Oksaras](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Geo_Eclipse_Oksaras)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2026, 12:12am UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/high-sec-mining-in-2026-as-a-returning-player-from-6-years-ago/508384/31 "2026-03-19T00:12:53Z")
> [@Gallentia](#): > > you pay for access to content that used to be normal you always had to pay for that content.. ---
**Author:** ![Gallentia](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/gallentia/32/493518_2.png) [@Gallentia](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Gallentia)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2026, 12:15am UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/high-sec-mining-in-2026-as-a-returning-player-from-6-years-ago/508384/32 "2026-03-19T00:15:11Z")
You’re asking what “got worse” in terms of mechanics you personally use. But that’s not the point I’m making. Mining itself didn’t get worse for people who already have the skills, the ships, the boosts, the corp infrastructure, and the income to support it. For them, it may even feel better. What _did_ get worse is the experience for solo players and new players trying to build themselves up without a corporation behind them. The barriers are higher, the costs are higher, the skill requirements are higher, and the sense of progression is slower unless you spend money. That’s the erosion I’m talking about. So when I say things have gotten worse, I’m not talking about your gameplay loop. I’m talking about the parts of the game that used to support independent players — the people who actually pay for their playstyle . and those parts have been shrinking for years. And you’re also forgetting returning players . the ones who come back after years and find themselves stuck with a massive skill gap. They’re not “new,” but they’re not competitive anymore either, and the game gives them very little support to bridge that gap. Many of them leave again for the same reason. That’s the direction I’m referring to. ---
**Author:** ![Malak\_Starfire](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/malak_starfire/32/501915_2.png) [@Malak\_Starfire](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Malak_Starfire)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2026, 12:18am UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/high-sec-mining-in-2026-as-a-returning-player-from-6-years-ago/508384/33 "2026-03-19T00:18:12Z")
None of that has changed… > [@Gallentia](#): > > The barriers are higher, T1 industry still only requires industry trained to 1 > [@Gallentia](#): > > the costs are higher The costs are roughly the same. > [@Gallentia](#): > > the skill requirements are higher Again, they are the same as they’ve always been. > [@Gallentia](#): > > and the sense of progression is slower unless you spend money This is also the same as it’s always been. You have not told us what has actually changed. ---
**Author:** ![Gallentia](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/gallentia/32/493518_2.png) [@Gallentia](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Gallentia)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2026, 12:24am UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/high-sec-mining-in-2026-as-a-returning-player-from-6-years-ago/508384/34 "2026-03-19T00:24:05Z")
You’re breaking my points into isolated pieces and then saying “nothing has changed,” but that’s exactly why you’re missing what I’m talking about. I’m not talking about T1 industry in a vacuum, or mining in a vacuum, or skill requirements in a vacuum. Individually, many of those things , look the same on paper. What has changed is the overall experience for solo players and also returning players. The combination of higher complexity, higher dependency on groups, higher reliance on boosts and infrastructure, higher ISK pressure, and a much larger skill gap creates a very different environment than years ago. A returning player with millions of SP still comes back to a game where everything around them has scaled upward . ships, fits, expectations, income requirements, and the meta itself. They’re not “new,” but they’re not competitive anymore either, and the game gives them very little support to bridge that gap. So when I say things have gotten worse, I’m talking about the direction of the game and the cumulative effect on the people who used to be able to play independently. That’s the part you’re not seeing. besides that , you can also just read and just think about it .. ---
**Author:** ![Namdor](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/namdor/32/396179_2.png) [@Namdor](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Namdor)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2026, 12:30am UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/high-sec-mining-in-2026-as-a-returning-player-from-6-years-ago/508384/35 "2026-03-19T00:30:34Z")
I’m a solo player and I don’t have any of your problems. ---
**Author:** ![Malak\_Starfire](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/malak_starfire/32/501915_2.png) [@Malak\_Starfire](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Malak_Starfire)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2026, 12:32am UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/high-sec-mining-in-2026-as-a-returning-player-from-6-years-ago/508384/36 "2026-03-19T00:32:00Z")
I took a break from 2018 until 2023. I have not experienced any of what you are claiming. I am mostly a solo player myself. You say the experience is different, but you cannot point to any actual change…maybe what changed is just you? ---
**Author:** ![Malak\_Starfire](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/malak_starfire/32/501915_2.png) [@Malak\_Starfire](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Malak_Starfire)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2026, 12:44am UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/high-sec-mining-in-2026-as-a-returning-player-from-6-years-ago/508384/37 "2026-03-19T00:44:09Z")
BTW the player count is going to rise tomorrow as we are finally getting an event. ---
**Author:** ![Geo\_Eclipse\_Oksaras](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/geo_eclipse_oksaras/32/500781_2.png) [@Geo\_Eclipse\_Oksaras](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Geo_Eclipse_Oksaras)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2026, 1:08am UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/high-sec-mining-in-2026-as-a-returning-player-from-6-years-ago/508384/38 "2026-03-19T01:08:22Z")
> [@Gallentia](#): > > everything around them has scaled upward . ships, fits, expectations, income requirements, and the meta itself. What?? if a ship fit has changed, it shouldn’t be very hard at all to switch to a different fit as you should be skilled enough to change things around.. Meta is ALWAYS changing.. CCP does that to keep the game from being stagnated or staying predictable.. thats the fun of EVE.. ---
**Author:** ![Dante\_Alicante](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/dante_alicante/32/485856_2.png) [@Dante\_Alicante](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Dante_Alicante)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2026, 3:03am UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/high-sec-mining-in-2026-as-a-returning-player-from-6-years-ago/508384/39 "2026-03-19T03:03:18Z")
I ninja mine in WHs for rarer ores and gas. I’m a solo player with 2 accounts, and while the risk is higher than HS mining, I feel the reward is worth it. I explore, mine, manufacture, and trade and while there might be some QoL improvements I’d like to see in mechanics and UI, I don’t feel the changes OP describes are a problem (for me) ---
**Author:** ![Syzygium](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/eveonline/user_avatar/forums.eveonline.com/syzygium/32/510263_2.png) [@Syzygium](https://forums.eveonline.com/u/Syzygium)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2026, 7:27am UTC](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/high-sec-mining-in-2026-as-a-returning-player-from-6-years-ago/508384/40 "2026-03-19T07:27:50Z")
> [@Gallentia](#): > > _used_ to support solo players It was _never_ in the history of EVE easier to play totally on your own. When I begun playing, we couldn’t even dream of the amounts of money you can make today. [Previous page](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/high-sec-mining-in-2026-as-a-returning-player-from-6-years-ago/508384.md?page=1) [Next page](https://forums.eveonline.com/t/high-sec-mining-in-2026-as-a-returning-player-from-6-years-ago/508384.md?page=3)