PlanetSide 2 News

We’ve published a client-only hotfix (no server downtime required) that introduces new stability, performance and anti-cheat improvements. The team is continuing to prioritize addressing these types of issues on a more frequent cadence as we're also working on new features and content. Below is the list of changes that were published to Live on Tuesday, October 30:

• Optimizations for visual effects which should reduce framerate hitching when effects are played for the first time. This was seen when firing the Thumper with Incendiary Ammo and should be improved significantly
  
• Stability improvements including fixes for several of the most common client crashes
  
• Implemented several fixes for waypoint on-screen hud positioning. This should address the indicator moving incorrectly when waypoints are at extreme distances, and improve screen-edge positioning for indicators that are behind players
  
• Anti-cheat improvements including the latest BattlEye updates with includes new security advances and compatibility fixes for Windows 10
  

Hello everyone,

Since we launched PlanetSide Arena into Early Access a month ago, I feel it’s important now more than ever to provide some insight into our development plans for both PlanetSide 2 and PlanetSide Arena, as well as give some perspective on what lies ahead for the franchise.



First and foremost, it’s not lost on us that PlanetSide 2 is what made all of this possible. Period.

Now that we’ve transitioned PlanetSide Arena into Early Access for community feedback and iteration, we’re providing PlanetSide 2 with some key reinforcements, in the form of several additional programmers, designers and artists. Many of the devs joining the team are familiar faces that have worked on PS2 over the years. But regardless of the time spent on the project, the common theme we all share is our passion for PlanetSide overall – past, present, and future. 



I want to thank everyone who has not only taken the time to play PSA, but also provide a lot of solid feedback and suggestions to help further improve the game. After months of internal playtesting, it’s been a lot of fun to finally experience it with the community; even if it means that we occasionally typically get wrecked by many of you!   
 
We’re pushing forward with the intention to treat Early Access as it should be: a limited phase where we gather feedback and suggestions to help refine the foundational game systems, features, content and overall stability - as quickly as possible. Our goal is to finish implementing the features and content for what we believe are critical, then GTFO of Early Access as quickly as possible and start promoting the game. This might be contrary to other Early Access games right now, but we want to get back to the original intent of why "Early Access" started in the first place.

And speaking of new features, we’re actively working on a new (non-BR) mode that incorporates many of the gameplay elements that make PlanetSide such an amazing experience, but in the form of shorter, session-based matches. It will include a new mode-specific map, capture points, ability to drop-in/out throughout the match, a broader range of vehicle types, etc. Many of the mechanics developed for this mode will be used in future modes like Massive Clash, so our focus is function over form, allowing quick iteration with your help.

The most valuable contribution I can ask for is your continued participation in Early Access. More importantly, your continued feedback on the improvements we’ve made thus far, as well as the numerous improvements we plan to incorporate in the coming weeks and months as we work toward exiting Early Access and our full launch next year.  



The final area I’d like to address is where we're going from here and what's on the horizon for the PlanetSide franchise overall...

We're coming up on the 7th anniversary for PlanetSide 2. In early 2020, the PlanetSide franchise will celebrate its 17th since the original release back in 2003. Over those 16+ years, we have amassed millions of passionate fans. So when we think about what the PlanetSide 3 experience needs to be, we know that there are incredibly high expectations from all of you. PlanetSide Arena is intended to be the stepping stone to PlanetSide 3, which we envision expanding from the current battlefields of Auraxis, to full-fledged galactic war with empires exploring, colonizing and conquering one another within an expansive galaxy. We envision PlanetSide Arena as a way to allow us to link present day PlanetSide 2 and PlanetSide 3 story lines, as well as providing an opportunity to try out new features, styles of play, etc.

Why wouldn't we just do this in PlanetSide 2? Quite simply, because PS2 offers a very unique experience that the current, active community enjoys. Trying to incorporate different game systems or styles of play or even trying out new modes would be disruptive - potentially catastrophically. We don’t want to upset that balance, as it would be unfair to our current PS2 community.
                
So as we take our next steps on this journey, I can tell you that the team and I are 100% committed for the long haul as we continue to expand PlanetSide 2, refine PlanetSide Arena, and prepare for the future of the overall PlanetSide franchise.  

On behalf of the entire PlanetSide team, thank you for your passion and dedication. We look forward to seeing all of you back out on the battlefield.

Andy Sites
Executive Producer – PlanetSide 2 & PlanetSide Arena   

PC servers will come offline on Wednesday, October 16 at 12:00 PM PDT / 9:00 PM CEST for maintenance. Downtime is expected to last up to 3 hours.

Strange visions have plagued Auraxis since its discovery. Apparitions emerging from the fossils of Indar, eerie wails emanating from the Hossin swamps, reports of ancient Vanu technology springing to life in the darkest hours of night. Is that shiver running down your spine from the chill air descending from the steep slopes of Esamir...or something else? It's a bad time of year to fear the dark, soldier, because from Wednesday, October 16, 2019 (3:00 PM PDT) through Friday, November 8, 2019 (11:59 PM PDT), Nanite of the Living Dead VI: Revenge of the Unsown will haunt Auraxis!


The spookiest season of the year sees the return of SpacePumpkins on all continents, along with the debut of the larger, more elusive Galact-O-Lantern! This year, we've removed seeds as a currency, so get ready to be knee deep in pulp - every pumpkin you kill will offer a direct reward, either in the form of a special Halloween cosmetic, or a bundle of certification points. Players will never receive the same cosmetic reward more than once from a pumpkin kill, which can also reward experience, other items, and in some cases, progress in our all-new Directive lineup!




We've got a new Directive lineup with new rewards, new seasonal items, and a revision to pumpkin hunting:



Complete all the requirements to unlock the Revenant implant, offering you (and potentially nearby allies) the ability to cloak for a short duration after being revived on the battlefield!


In addition to popping pumpkins for special rewards, a lineup of old Halloween favorites will be made available for direct purchase from the Depot. The following items will be available during this season's event:

• NS Candy Cannon sidearm
  
• The Slasher melee weapon
  
• Flaming Skull Helmets
  
• Facemasks
  
• Facepaints
  
• Tire Trails
  

We've released new assault rifles for VS/NC/TR, each of which will be available in the Depot with accompanying Fully Loaded bundles:

• VE-A1 Lacerta (Vanu Sovereignty - Assault Rifle)

The Lacerta assault rifle syncs an accurate, three round burst to a moderate refire rate, and creates a melodic barrage of plasma, perfect for mid-range engagements.

• MG-A1 Arbalest (Terran Republic - Assault Rifle)

Designed as an alternative to the popular SABR-13 assault rifle, the Arbalest fires concentrated, 6-round bursts with low recoil and high takedown potential at mid-range.

• MGR-A1 Vanquisher (New Conglomerate - Assault Rifle)

The Vanquisher's performance is defined by its excellent stopping power over distance, delivered through a low recoil, three-round burst.



Full patch notes including Infantry, Vehicle, and Player Studio updates can be found HERE.  Still your heartbeat, soldier, and ready yourself to face the darkest horrors of the unknown this Halloween season - Nanite of the Living Dead VI: Revenge of the Unsown promises to be a frighteningly good time! 

PC Servers will come offline on Wednesday, September 25 at 6:00 AM PDT / 3:00 PM CEST for maintenance. Downtime is expected to last up to 2 hours.

AERIAL ANOMALIES

• Improved server performance while these events are active.
  
• Buoys have all been lowered by 100 meters.
  
• Buoy deposit range from 150 meters to 200 meters.
  

MISC. FIXES, CHANGES, ADDITIONS

• Fixed some issues relating to faction balance queues.
  
• NSO characters will now get a friendly fire warning when firing on allied terminals.
  
• Prowler has deploy and undeploy sound effects again.
  
• Your first loading screen tooltip should no longer inform you of the game you're currently playing.
  

PLANETSIDE ARENA EARLY ACCESS IS HERE!

To celebrate PlanetSide Arena's early access release (now available to download for FREE on our Steam page), we've added a special PlanetSide Arena-themed bundle with weapons and cosmetics for your PlanetSide 2 characters!



PlanetSide: Arena - Mercenary Bundle - 2499 DBC
This bundle will be available until October 1, 2019, at 12:00 AM PDT, and comes with the following items:

• PSA-01 Hammerhead AMR
  
• PSA-02 Diamondback
  
• Arena Mercenary Helmet
  
• Arena Light Assault Armor
  

PSA-01 Hammerhead AMR (NS-AM7 Archer cosmetic variant)
The Hammerhead anti-materiel rifle revisits the power of the trusted NS-AM7 Archer, while bringing with it a more striking and modern visual design.



PSA-02 Diamondback (NS-11A cosmetic variant)
The Diamondback assault rifle is a more aggressive take on the time-tested, and highly adaptable NS-11A.



Arena Mercenary Helmet and Light Assault Armor
A battleworn PlanetSide: Arena helmet for all VS/NC/TR infantry classes, and a VS/NC/TR Light Assault Armor set.



Download for FREE on our Steam page now!

OCTOBER SEASONAL ITEMS COMING SOON!

In preparation for our Halloween event (Oct. 18 - Nov. 08), you will see seasonal items become available on October 1, with more to come later in the month. You'll see the following items start appearing in the Depot:

• NS CandyCannon 3000
  Slasher Knife
  Halloween Vehicle Horns
  Vehicle Tire Trails
  Flaming Skull Helmets
  Halloween Variety Helmets

LOOKING AHEAD

Hey there. The response to our dev letter a while back was pretty good, and the desire for continued communication is high, so we'll start adding little blurbs at the end of most of our patch notes to keep you in the loop with what we're currently working toward. This "hotfix" (not really a hotfix, more like an interim update,) was mainly to get a lot of timely marketplace information out now, as well as other data relating to the Halloween events slated for mid-October. Speaking of which, we'll be revising the way the Halloween event works this year. Instead of harvesting pumpkin seeds that can be used to purchase items, (a sporadic, mini-economy no one ever really knew how to price,) we're going to give you a chance at Halloween themed cosmetics by popping pumpkins. Shoot a pumpkin? Win a prize! We're going to be generous with some of the easier to purchase items, things like face masks and face paints, and increase rarity for for some of the nicer things. Horns are about middling rarity, flaming skull helmets are more rare, as an example.

The next update will be setting up the Halloween event primarily. That will be running from October 18 through November 8. With that update will come a round of faction-specific Assault Rifles, the possibility of an NSO-specific Sniper Rifle, and some Player Studio items, which we've had some issues processing lately. Sanctuary and Mandates are currently in the works, and making decent time. That'll be mainly what we start buttoning up after the October release, but we'll talk more about that later. Be on the lookout for an official Livestream coming early October where we'll show off and go into more detail about our progress.



October kicks off what tends to be the busiest three months for us on the dev team, and it will be a great time for PlanetSide 2 as well.

-Wrel, Lead Designer, PlanetSide 2

https://youtu.be/8AW0TuDUt5I
Gear up, Mercenaries, PlanetSide Arena is now available for FREE on Steam Early Access!

This is just the beginning of our epic journey to bring you the ultimate massive multiplayer sci-fi arena shooter. If you’ve been with us since we first began playtesting in Beta, a HUGE thank you. We never would have made it this far without you! To all of you new recruits, we’re thrilled to introduce you to the next phase in the war for Auraxis!

To DOWNLOAD and get started, click here to visit the PlanetSide Arena Steam page.


We launch today with two initial game modes:

• SQUADS
  • 300-player match-based game mode
    
  • 12 players per Squad
    

• TEAMS
  • 150-player match-based game mode
    
  • 3 players per Squad
    

PlanetSide Arena is an ambitious project that will ultimately feature a variety of match-based game modes, some capable of supporting up to 1,000 players per match! We’ll be working hard throughout Early Access to bring you new modes like Sunderdome, Outfit Wars, and Massive Clash, which will be released on a regular cadence in the form of weekend events with special rewards, or as primary modes that are always available.

Check out our Early Access Roadmap for a look at the new modes and features on the horizon.





Three initial character classes are available at launch: Assault, Medic, and Engineer. Each class fills a tactical role on the battlefield, and comes outfitted with its own unique ability, utility (or tool), and primary weapon option:

• ASSAULT CLASS
  • Escape Jet (F Key): Launches character at accelerated speed
    
  • Flash Totem (5 Key): Places a totem that blinds nearby enemies when activated
    
  • Has access to Carbines and Mods that improve speed and mobility
    
    
• MEDIC CLASS
  • Team Heal (F Key): Activates area of effect (AoE) aura that heals you/allies
    
  • Shield Totem (5 Key): Places a totem that buffs shield regen time of nearby allies
    
  • Has access to Scout Rifles, can revive teammates faster than other classes
    
    
• ENGINEER CLASS
  • Spitfire Turret (F Key): Deploys auto turret that targets enemy players/vehicles
    
  • Hardlight Barrier (5 Key): Places a barrier to use as cover for you/allies
    
  • Has access to LMGs and Mods that improve utility
    
    

For more on each of the classes, check out our introductory guides on the Assault, Medic, and Engineer.



Ready to choose your class and drop into the Arena?  Don’t forget to gear up for combat! From lethal sniper rifles to high-velocity particle weapons, PlanetSide Arena features a deep and diverse arsenal to choose from - and with the ability to customize your Loadout before diving into a match, you'll NEVER need to loot for a weapon. For more on each of the weapons and upgrades available in-game, check out our introductory weapons guide. 



Along with choosing your class and mastering each weapon, you'll want to familiarize yourself with each of the vehicles in PlanetSide Arena to fully dominate the battlefield. Every class starts each match with their own personal vehicle, which you can pre-select from the "Customize Soldier" main menu option, then summon in-match by hitting your X key (default). Very useful for scouting ahead for your Squad, or escaping an ambush! Once you dismount from your personal vehicle, there will be a short recharge time before you can summon it again.

The full garage available at Early Access launch include:

• Personal Vehicles: 
  • Tempest (Hoverbike): Lightweight, maneuverable, excellent strafing
    
  • Flash (Quad): Heavier feel, gets extra air off jumps and ridges
    
    
• Vanguard MK2 Tank:
  • 3-player Assault Tank
    
  • Driver plus 2 mounted guns: Main cannon and machine gun
    
  • Slow but exceptionally durable in combat
    
    
• Harasser
  • 3-player Transit Buggy
    
  • Driver, passenger, and 1 mounted gun: Halberd Rocket Launcher
    
  • Fast and mobile, with lighter armor and weaponry than the Vanguard
    
    

Additional vehicles will be introduced throughout Early Access - including aircraft, which are slated for Q1 2020 with our Outfit Wars update!



PlanetSide Arena launches as a free-to-play game with two premium bundles available for download on our Steam page:



The PlanetSide Arena: Recruit Edition ($19.99) includes the exclusive Alpha Strike banner and 80 NS-0 Standard Crates - $80 worth of value!



The PlanetSide Arena: Legendary Edition ($49.99) includes the Alpha Strike banner, FOUR exclusive skins (M-20 Tempest Hoverbike, and Alpha Strike Armors for the Medic, Assault, and Engineer) that will ONLY be available during Early Access, and 200 NS-0 Standard Crates - $200 worth of value!



Have additional questions? Visit our Frequently Asked Questions guide for a rundown on everything else you need know.

If you don’t find your answer here, tweet us @PlanetSideArena or let us know on the official forums.

See you in the Arena, Mercenary!