Star Trek Online celebrates its 8th anniversary on January 23

It's hard to believe that Star Trek Online is already approaching its 8th anniversary. It seems like yesterday that Cryptic Studios released this game based on the popular Star Trek franchise, and we have nothing but praise for the work that the devs keep putting into this game. There isn't a month that goes by without news of a new Star Trek Online update or event – new games should take notice.

Star Trek Online launched in 2010 and in January 23, 2018, will celebrate its 8th anniversary. Right now it offers 161 episodes, three major expansions and 14 full seasons of playable content. PC captains will be able to celebrate by joining daily giveaways leading up to the anniversary and participating in a brand new featured episode and special events for rewards, which begin January 23. Xbox One and PS4 captains will also celebrate with some events at a later date. There's also a new episode coming on January 23 called Scylla & Charibdis.

Here is a rundown of the new features and planned festivities:

• New Featured Episode – Captains must rally the fleet to stand in the way of the Tzenkethi’s path of destruction through the Alpha Quadrant in the new episode “Scylla & Charibdis.”

• Re-Engineering – This new feature allows players to change the mods on their existing items, including weapons.

• Omega Molecule Stabilization – Back by popular demand, players can join this event to collect Omega particles that Q has hidden across space. Stabilizing these molecules will yield prize vouchers, which can be redeemed for this year’s anniversary ship, the T6 Denorios-class Bajoran Interceptor.

• 8th Anniversary Party Poppers – Captains can meet up with Q to score a special event party popper, which allows them to generate exciting new effects!

• LootCrate Giveaway – Players can follow Star Trek Online on Facebook and Twitter to find out how they can enter to win a one-year subscription to the Star Trek Mission Crate from Loot Crate, which offers exclusive Star Trek apparel and collectibles every two months. Starting at the end of this month, each crate will also include codes to unlock in-game items for Star Trek Online, including starships, Bridge Officers, gear and exclusive emotes.