EVE Online moves to Python 3(eveonline.com)
394 points by TylerJaacks 16 days ago | 218 comments
tl;dr: EVE Online is finally migrating its 2.4 million lines of Python 2.7 code (running on Stackless Python since 2003) to Python 3, aiming for performance gains, better tooling, and modern library support. An initial scan found 95.9% of files already compile under both versions, with only ~3,300 blocking lines, but roughly 20,000 lines compile fine yet behave differently (e.g., integer division) and require manual review. Stage 1 changes have been deployed to Tranquility and should be invisible to players; the harder line-by-line work is still ahead.
HN Discussion:
  • Curiosity about Stackless Python and appreciation for its untapped potential in modern async contexts
  • Admiration for the technical team tackling such a massive legacy migration carefully
  • Suggestion to use AI to translate the codebase to Rust instead of migrating to Python 3
  • ~Surprise or bemusement that Python 2.7 codebases still exist and require migration in 2026
  • Questions about historical Python syntax details like <> and integer division