Dust 514 to get expansion in 2013, PS Vita application

Dust 514, CCP’s upcoming free-to-play PS3 first-person shooter MMO, will see an expansion in 2013 that will bring new features inspired by direct fan feedback from this weekend’s EVE FanFest in Reykjavik, Iceland. At a keynote presentation, Dust 514′s executive producer, Brandon Laurino, revealed the following details for the expansion:

• eSports expansion – Competitive gaming will be supported with gladiator arenas in the EVE universe, with modes like CTF, deathmatches and custom battles being supported. Viewing and betting on these matches will be supported in EVE to make this a true sporting event.
• Hostile environments – An expansion will allow Dust 514 play in inhospitable worlds, though players may need vehicles to progress.

Details on an upcoming Dust 514 PS Vita companion app were also revealed during the keynote. It’s currently under development for a 2012 release, with the tentative name Dust 514: Neocom. The application will allow access to the game’s market, skills systems, mail, chat, and star maps. CCP is also evaluating further PS3 possibilities, like realtime PS3-to-Vita gameplay.