As part of an experiment, CCP has added PLEX as a reward for EVE Online's Buddy Program. When inviting new players using the Buddy Invite page, you will have a choice of selecting either the standard 30 days of game time or a PLEX as the potential reward for that invitation. CCP will be monitoring the change closely and is prepared to adjust or abort the PLEX reward if necessary.

In addition, the team has added a few more features to the Buddy Program based on feedback: The cap on invites has been raised from three per month to ten per month, and Buddy invitations will remain valid and will no longer expire after a set period of time.

If you'd like to participate in the program, head over to the Buddy Program page to get started. More details on the PLEX reward can be found in the FAQ after the jump.

PLEX Reward FAQ

Aren't you worried about exploits?

A community of 360,000 players will always find interesting loopholes; however, since this involves PLEX, which has its own in-game market, any exploits will be dealt with harshly and rapidly.

This seems too good to be true, is it?

Not at all. This is about giving our players, the best players anywhere, a choice. Have game time? Get PLEX for your effort. Need game time? Do it the old way; it's easy with no redemption of PLEX in your hold. We'll be doing a revamp to the Buddy Program at the end of the year that will add more layers, leaderboards and larger rewards for corporate recruiting and induction. It only gets better.

How long will this last?

We're currently allowing a low number of PLEX to come into the system at one time. This test will be monitored closely to make sure it is working as intended and that it does not negatively impact the economy or balance of EVE Online.

What if I don't like the Buddy Program?

We're working on some more player-driven options like the Buddy Program that will allow passive rather than direct recruiting. Look for more information later this year on alternate ways we'll be rewarding our community for their countless acts of awesome.