CCP Games was founded in June 1997 by Reynir Harðarson, Þórólfur Beck Kristjónsson and Ívar Kristjánsson for the purpose of making MMORPGs.

[2][3] Harðarson was working at a metaverse company called OZ Interactive who had developed an engine for distributed 3d simulations over the internet, but not for gaming.

Wanting to use the technology to build MMOs, Harðarson left OZ, to found CCP with Beck and Kristjánsson, bringing over key people, including CEO Hilmar Veigar Pétursson and creative director Torfi Frans Ólafsson.

[8][9] With the merge, the combined company planned to produce "the industry's most innovative games leveraging both online and offline systems".

[13][14] White Wolf Publishing president Mike Tinney was additionally promoted head of CCP North America.

[15][16][17] In February 2011, CCP Games announced that intentions to expand the location from their presently 150 positions to 300, and move the studio to new housing in Decatur, Georgia.

[29][30][31] The deal comprised an undisclosed all-cash sum for CCP Games, and the company assets of White Wolf Publishing, their intellectual property and the rights to World of Darkness Online for Paradox Interactive.

Even though after considerable downsizing, CCP Games claims that EVE Online and its development is stronger than ever and that the company will continue to grow.

[39] Pearl Abyss, the South Korean publisher of Black Desert Online, announced on 6 September 2018 that they had agreed to acquire CCP Games for about US$425 million.

EVE Online's core gameplay revolves around player decisions around mining, exploration, industry, factional warfare, piracy, and other general PvP fighting.

Some major design choices include a player-driven market economy very similar to that of real life and the freedom to do what might otherwise be considered illegal activities, such as scamming for in-game items or currencies.

On 18 August 2009, CEO Hilmar Veigar Pétursson announced Dust 514, a new ground-based first-person shooter (FPS) with real-time strategy elements being developed by CCP Games' Shanghai office.

[43] Gunjack is a virtual-reality arcade shooter released for the Samsung Gear VR on 20 November 2015, the Oculus Rift on 28 March 2016, and the HTC Vive on 5 April 2016.

[citation needed] Project Nova was a class-based first-person shooter (FPS) for the PC taking place in the EVE Online universe and was developed by CCP Games Shanghai.

While Project Nova was cancelled, The CCP London Studio announced in November 2022 that it had started development on an unnamed first-person shooter (now known as Vanguard).