Tech Level vs Meta Level in EVE Online

Introduction

In discussions about fittings, many new and veteran players alike get hung up on terminology. People throw around phrases like “T3 meta modules,” or warn others “don’t fly T1 with meta-3 gear.” This confusion comes from mixing two separate classification systems that serve different purposes. Understanding the distinction matters for fitting, reverse-engineering, buying, and PvP.

What Are Tech Levels

Tech levels classify the broad category or generation of an item. They apply to both modules and ships. The common tech levels are:

• Tech 1 (T1): The base generation. Items and ships are general-purpose, broadly usable, and manufacturable by players.

• Tech 2 (T2): Upgraded, specialized versions of items (and ships, where applicable). They often require invention, more skills, and have better performance.

• Tech 3 (T3): Applies to a special class of ships: strategic cruisers (and some other modular/role-switch ships). T3 defines the hull and subsystem flexibility, not module variants.

Important: Tech level describes the fundamental origin and design lineage of a ship or module, not a quality ranking among variants.

What Are Meta Levels

Meta levels apply only to modules (not ships). They indicate variations within the Tech 1 (T1) module group, with incremental improvements or specialization. The meta levels go:

• Meta 0: The base T1 module you can build from blueprint. It has standard performance and fitting requirements.

• Meta 1–4: “Named” T1 modules dropped by NPCs (or available via salvage/loot). They often offer slightly better stats, reduced CPU/PG needs, or improved module bonuses compared to Meta 0.

• Meta 5: The standard Tech 2 module. Meta 5 is synonymous with T2.

• Meta 6+ and beyond: Covers Faction modules, Deadspace modules, Officer modules, Storyline modules, etc. These are often significantly stronger — but also much rarer.

Thus Meta level is about the quality, origin, and performance variation of modules, not about the ship hull or class.

Why T3, T4, or “T3 Meta 1” Are Misused

Because people confuse tech levels and meta levels:

• T3 always refers to a ship class — strategic cruisers with modular subsystems.

• There are no “T4” or “T5” module tech levels in official classification. When you see “T4” used, it usually refers to content difficulty (for instance “T4 Abyssal Deadspace”).

• A phrase like “T3 Meta 1” doesn’t make sense in EVE’s system:

  • “T3” is a ship classification, not a module tier.

  • “Meta 1” is a module variant within T1 — so you cannot simultaneously be T3 and T1 module variant.

Any of those combinations is a mix of two different classification systems and thus invalid in EVE’s official terminology.

What This Means for Fits, Buying, and Progress

• When you buy a module, always check the “Meta level” in the information panel. That tells you if it’s a base T1 (Meta 0), a named variant (Meta 1–4), or higher-tier (Meta 5+).

• When you choose a ship, check the tech level — T1, T2, or T3 — to know what hull you’re in. You then treat modules and hull separately.

• A T3 ship can use T1 (meta 0–4), T2 (meta 5), Faction, Deadspace, Officer modules — but you will never see “T3 module.”

• Avoid using community shorthand that mixes the two systems. It makes communications unclear and can lead to mismatching fits or buying mistakes.

Summary Table

Final Word

In EVE Online, Tech level and Meta level are separate but complementary. Tech refers to the base class or generation. Meta indicates how “good” or specialized a module is, within that class.

Mixing the two leads to confusion. Once you clearly separate hull type (T1, T2, T3) from module quality (Meta 0–14), you’ll fit ships smarter, buy smarter, and understand exactly what other pilots mean when they talk about “meta fits.”