PlanetSide 2 News

Welcome to Outfit Wars
Outfit Wars is a tournament-based event where outfits (organized groups of players) compete against one another to show who is the most prepared, coordinated, and fearsome on the field of battle. Outfits will fight for leaderboard placement match after match in hopes of achieving rewards, recognition, and maybe some bragging rights. Below we'll walk through how Outfit Wars has changed in 2022, so that you can prepare to claim victory in the upcoming season.

Phases of War
There are four main phases in Outfit Wars (Enlistment, Qualifiers, Playoffs, and Championships) that take place over the course of seven weeks.

1. Enlistment - When the Enlistment phase begins (Aug. 03,) any outfit with at least 48 players can sign up to participate after paying the resource entry fee. At that point, at least 48 players from that outfit must confirm their participation to verify the Enlistment.
   This is slightly different from last year, and is intended to reduce the amount of "ghost outfits" capable of signing up. While 48 members are required to validate the signup, they are not the only outfit members allowed to play. Any outfit member can jump into a match that has begun, provided their outfit rank has the "Outfit War" assigned. These privileges are determined by your outfit's leadership.
   
2. Qualifiers - When the first week of Qualifiers begins, Enlisted outfits will immediately be assigned their upcoming match day and times. Matches take place once per week on a Friday or Saturday at 8pm or 8:30pm server time. When that week's matches are over, placements for the next week will be determined, and new match times will be assigned. This gives outfits an entire week to get organized and stock War Asset supplies as necessary.
   
3. Playoffs - After four rounds of Qualifiers, the top eight outfits will make their way into the Playoffs. The first-round Playoff winners will then move into the final Playoffs matchup to determine who will match up against one another in the Championships.
   
4. Championships - When the final Playoffs match is complete, their scores will determine the Gold/Silver and Bronze/Fourth place matchups. Placement in this last match determines the final winners in the Outfit Wars season. Championship games will take place exclusively on Saturday, with the Bronze/Fourth place battle starting at 12pm server time and the Silver/Gold matchup at 12:30pm server time.

The 1v1 Format
For the new season, outfits will be pitted against one another in one-versus-one combat on the battle island of Nexus.

• When a match begins two teams of up to 48 players can travel to their match on Nexus.
  
• Each match has a 20 minute preparation phase, during which players can enter the zone and start getting organized. Players are confined to the Warpgate during this time.
  
• When the preparation phase ends, a 45 minute match timer begins, and no other players will be allowed into the match.
  
• The Colossus and Bastion Fleet Carrier are unavailable on Nexus, though other War Assets are fair game.
  
• Construction is unavailable on Nexus as well, though ANTs are still available without terminal access.
  
• Continent lock benefits, and boosts to Nanite gains are not in effect on Nexus.
  
• The snowy battleground of Nexus is divided into two Warpgates and nine bases. The three center bases begin neutral, and the three bases nearest each Warpgate begin owned by their respective faction.
  
• When the alert begins, players will be released from their Warpgates, and be able to begin capturing and defending these bases.
  
• The team with the most controlled territory at the end of the alert, or the team who can connect their Warpgate to the opposing faction's Warpgate, will win the match.
  

Win/Loss and Bracket Points
At the end of each match cycle, outfits will be sorted into their next matchups based on who has the strongest win/loss record. When ties in win/loss record exist, Bracket Points determine who has the better overall standing.

Each match on Nexus has a pool of 500 points that outfits are capable of earning. Once per minute, two points from this pool are given to an outfit for each base they currently own. In the case of a dominating victory, and remaining points in the pool are given to the victorious outfit.

This mechanic is meant to incentivize aggressive play where scoring a decisive victory is going to be more beneficial than a long, drawn out encounter. It also helps more quickly segment outfits of varying skill levels throughout the Qualifiers.



Same Faction Fighting
For the first time, we will be allowing outfits from the same faction to fight one another whenever the matches line up that way. Each team will be assigned to either the Red or Blue team while on Nexus, and your tracer fire, abilities, and HUD indicators will be updated to follow suit. We've also made accommodations for setting your own HUD indicator colors while specifically on Nexus. Nanite Systems Operatives players who have chosen a home faction will now also be able to compete alongside their outfit.



Rewards
Outfit Wars rewards come in a few varieties, though the awards listed are subject to change:

• Each match on Nexus awards ISO-4 when the alert ends, for all participants.
  
• Any character that has ended at least one match on Nexus will be eligible for placement rewards.
  
• Placement rewards are made available for outfits who make it into the Playoffs and beyond.
  
• A special Outfit Wars profile banner is available for outfits in the top eight and higher, while unique Bronze, Silver, and Gold banner frames will be available for the top three outfits.
  
• When Outfit Wars ends, statues for the victorious outfits will remain visible in Sanctuary until the next season begins.

All PC servers will come down for the following update on Wednesday, July 27, at 6:00am PT (3:00pm CEST). Downtime for this update is expected to last up to 2 hours.
--

[h2]Misc. Changes, Fixes, and Additions[/h2]

• Fixed an issue that would cause heavy framerate drops when near certain particle effects.
  Note: This particular fix has already been released as a client-only update, as of these notes being posted.
  
• Fixed an issue causing players to occasionally cause the client to become unresponsive when loading into the game.
  
• Fixed an issue with explosives being able to deal damage through spawn room shields.
  
• C4 should now deal the expected damage amount on vehicles floating in the water.
  
• An empty "Codex" directive line no longer appears in the directives pane.
  
• Updated Outfit Wars tooltip information to reflect actual rules for the upcoming season.
  
• Added a new "Cannonball" objective to the Corsair vehicle directive.
  

All PC servers will come down for the following update on Wednesday, July 20, at 6:00am PT (3:00pm CEST). Downtime for this update is expected to last up to 2 hours.
--

[h2]Misc. Changes, Fixes, and Additions[/h2]

• Fixed drastic framerate slowdowns caused by lit particle effects.
  
• Fixed an issue causing render quality settings higher than 1 to cause visual issues.
  
• Fixed an issue causing flickering and stuttering at medium quality graphics settings.
  
• Fixed an issue preventing anti-aliasing from taking place on medium quality graphics settings.
  
• Fixed an issue that would prevent the Javelin, Corsair, Dervish, Chimera, and Colossus from rendering at their intended ranges.
  
• Fixed an issue causing thermal optics not to display correctly.
  
• Updated the date string for the Wave Breaker Summer Directive – this event ends on July 27.
  
• Respawning in VR training will now always provide you with a spawn point.
  
• Spawn tubes no longer reward Lodestar Prototype Spawn experience.
  
• Added a speculative fix for a long-standing issue causing squad leaders to remain leader despite being offline for longer periods of time.
  
• Concussion Mines now properly provide 2 at max rank for Terran Republic Infiltrators.
  
• Fixed the zoom depth on the Hammerhead AMR.
  
• Added more ambient underwater particle effects to players in first person.
  
• NSO's Mako sniper rifle no longer appears in the Sniper Rifles directive for all factions.
  
• NC MAX's Aegis Shield should no longer remain up on remote clients when it is not active on the wielder's client.
  
• Left-arm reloads on MAX units are once again visible/audible on remote clients.
  
• Seapost J8 - Delve on Oshur no longer has missing props around the capture point, and the capture point appears in the correct position.
  
• Rooted some floating props at K&H Tech on Oshur.
  
• Rooted a floating tree at Wakerift Beachhead on Oshur.
  
• Fixed some handle clipping issues with the Swordfish amphibious rifle.
  
• NS SQU-34K now properly triggers knife-based implants and directives.
  
• Fixed various horn preview sounds not playing the actual sound of the horn.
  

[h2]V42 Pariah (Vanu Sovereignty)[/h2]
Made the following changes to the VS45 Pariah on all platforms, with the intention of solidifying the niche this weapon is intended to perform in.

• Minimum CoF from 0.2 to 0.1
  
• Maximum CoF from 0.5 to 0.4
  
• CoF recovery rate from 10 to 20
  

[h2]Corsair Updates[/h2]

• The Corsair is no longer capable of flying through the air while reversing.
  
• Corsair now properly unlocks custom loadout slots 3 and 4 when the appropriate battle rank is achieved.
  
• Corsair passengers now dismount atop the vehicle.
  
• Corsair now counts toward "vehicle destruction" directives.
  
• Sunderer headlights no longer appear in the preview screen of the Corsair.
  
• The Corsair's Palisade weapon can no longer be used on non-TR factions.
  
• Corsair's Basilisk audio has been made more efficient. Audio-drop out issues should be less prevalent when fighting in large-scale battles with this vehicle and weapon.
  
• Visual cleanup on Corsair's Horizon lumifiber.
  
• Various audio and FX polish on the Corsair and its weapons
  

[h2]Known Issues[/h2]
The handling/velocity of guided missiles was impacted by a fix we've made to clean up projectile network objects. In short, these weapons will need to be retuned by hand to get them close to how they had performed previously, and will follow at a later date.

Grab your sunscreen and join us for a day at the beach in PlanetSide 2!

Between 11am and 11pm PT, on Saturday, July 16, the island continent of Oshur will automatically unlock itself after being captured!

During this event, ALL players will receive double experience!

Be sure to redeem SURF2022 once you're in-game to unlock a free amphibious rifle, the UBR-300 Swordfish-P!

Our latest update introduced the new Corsair assault craft, and underwater combat, and for a limited time, you can experience it without interruption!

You can revisit the patch notes for the Surf and Storm update here: https://www.planetside2.com/patch-notes/surf-and-storm-patch-notes

[h2]Surf and Storm[/h2]

All aboard! The Surf and Storm update is finally here -- bringing with it the first-ever water vehicle, major updates to the island continent of Oshur, a whole new style of gameplay underwater, the second leg of our summer event directives, and a whole host of fixes and improvements. Check it out below!



[h2]A Gift for All[/h2]
To celebrate the release of Surf and Storm, we're giving away a platinum version of the UBR-300 Swordfish! Just redeem SURF2022 after the update goes Live!



[h2]Corsair[/h2]
Navigate the island chain of Oshur with our very first naval vessel, the Corsair assault craft. This vehicle is available on the islands of Oshur, and can be pulled from any Flotilla or Seapost. One driver, two gunners, and up to five additional passengers can assault the sea or shore with this powerful addition to your empire's arsenal.
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Armament Utility: Fire Suppression, IR Chaff
Defense: Nanite Auto-Repair, Proximity Repair, Proximity Ammo Dispenser
Chassis: Speed Chassis, Scout Chassis, Agility Chassis
Weapons: M20 Basilisk, M60 Bulldog, Dingo ML-6, C2-20 HCG (NSO), M18 Palisade-C (TR), N30 Trawler-C (NC), V42 Pariah-C (VS)
Special: Squad-spawn capable, Catapult System

Catapult System
Spawn in your squadmates, then launch them into battle using the Catapult System. Passengers in the last 5 seats can charge the power meter, and launch themselves like a cannonball in their facing direction!
[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Cosmetics
The initial release of the Corsair has a handful of horns, exterior, cockpit, and lumifibers available!



[h2]Oshur[/h2]
The island continent of Oshur has been heavily revised to include the flow of new bases, a new lattice, and new underwater combat.

Flotilla and Lattice

• Each Flotilla has been relocated, and their starting lattice/region control has been adjusted to allow for more fight locations throughout Oshur.
  
• Updated map and lattice is as shown below.
  

Victory Conditions

• Triggering a Meltdown event on Oshur now requires 5 major facilities controlled, and no longer awards linking of Warpgates.
  
• Population-based Meltdown alerts trigger as usual whenever the appropriate amount of players are available in the zone.
  

Seaposts

• Seaposts have been revisited as a base archetype, and a total of 10 have been added to Oshur.
  
• Each Seapost now has a smaller footprint, attached spawn point, and the ability to pull a Corsair from the attached waterdock.
  
• The position of these Seaposts allow for more lattice lane variability, and new ways to cut off enemy territory.
  
• Nine of the new Seaposts now have underwater single-point combat areas, each with a unique design.
  
• Seapost D8 - Collapse is a derelict aquatic research site.
  
• Seapost G8 - Pipeline is the site of a sabotaged pipe network.
  
• Seapost G6 - Trenches covers deep grooves in the ground.
  
• Seapost J7 - Garden is an open coral/rock garden.
  
• Seapost L8 - Cliffdive is settled beneath a cliff's edge.
  
• Seapost J8 - Delve is an underground cave network.
  
• Seapost I11 - Stones is surrounded by teethlike spires of rock.
  
• Seapost G11 - Reef is a coral reef with gentle line of sight breaks.
  
• Seapost H10 - Debris seems to be the site of a few failed delivery attempts.
  
• The pre-existing Seaposts, and one located near the Northeast Flotilla, have floating vehicle capture points.
  
• Seaposts now have a new base icon to indicate the water-based nature of the outpost.

Bridges

• Many of the low bridges on Oshur have been removed or made passable to facilitate movement of Corsairs through the map.
  

Bathala Nursery

• This is a new underwater base in the center of the map, meant as a transitional combat area between the larger center bases.

HMS Technologies

• A large single-point base has been added to the large northwestern island.

K&H Tech Station

• This base has been reworked, and is no longer an open-field construction base.

Mirror Bay Watchtower

• Moved A and C control points into open fields near the base, where attackers tend to congregate.
  
• B point has received adjusted entrances for flow, and larger control point capture area.

Centri Mining Operation

• Now has an updated northern entrance to create less of a choke, and better Sunderer placement.
  
• Has a sweet bridge jump just north of the base.

Veridad Pass

• This open field base has received more cover placement.

Outpost Kalis

• Fixed a missing Sunderer Garage shield.

Sage R&D

• Ammo tower at Sage R&D is now functional.

[h2]Underwater Combat[/h2]
Major changes have been made to facilitate combat beneath the waves.

• Movement speed penalty while underwater dropped from 60% to 45%.
  
• Most infantry/MAX small-arms that do not deal explosive or anti-armor damage can now be fired underwater. Attachments that enable explosive damage will prevent these weapons from firing underwater as well.
  
• Many deployables, like mines and C4 are still able to be placed underwater, though ability usage is limited in scope.
  
• Underwater weapons still have the lowest projectile drag, and effectively the furthest range when fighting underwater.
  
• Lodestar's shield no longer activates when deployed underwater.
  

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]

Diver Propulsion Device

• Cruise around the Oshur seabed with the new Diver Propulsion Device! While held, pressing spacebar will allow you move through the water with ease.
  
• The Diver Propulsion Device is available for certification points, and can be found in the Tactical Slot of all non-Light Assault classes.
  

[h2]Summer Directive - Wave Breaker (July 13 - July 27)[/h2]

• Make a splash with the second summer directive!
  
• Completing this directive unlocks the UBP-1 "Steel" Starfish to aid in your underwater escapades.
  

[h2]Maximum Pressure Returns! (July 13 - July 27)[/h2]

• For a limited time, the Maximum Pressure event makes its way back to Auraxis.
  
• Once per continent, this event can trigger, eliminating the cost of MAX units for the duration.
  
• Whichever team kills the most enemies during the alert will be victorious!
  

[h2]Outfit Wars Returns! (Enlistment begins Aug. 03)[/h2]

• Outfit Wars is a tournament-style event where Outfits work their way up the ranking ladder over the course of a season.
  
• This year, we'll be conducting Outfit Wars in a new 1v1 format taking place on the icy battle island of Nexus.
  
• Outfits who sign up will bring a platoon of their most talented players into the match with them, and do battle through a 45 minute alert.
  
• Hold the most territory for the duration of the alert, or cut off a faction's Warpgate to win.
  
• Each match has a limited pool of "bracket points" that can be earned by holding territory through the match. These points will break win/loss record ties, and help your Outfit climb the ladder.
  
• More information to come once we're a bit closer to the day.
  

[h2]Misc. Changes, Fixes, and Additions[/h2]

• !! Loadouts will no longer enter a state that can cause certain weapons and equipment to reset itself when logging in or transferring continents.
  
• !! You can no longer bypass the squad beacon cooldown when deploying from the map screen.
  
• !! Esamir now has functional water, and no longer kills you for dipping your toes in it. Other continents will receive these changes in the future as well.
  
• You will no longer occasionally be peppered with friendly fire audio while on Oshur.
  
• Made adjustments to Javelin's turbo to compensate for accuracy changes made in a previous update. It should last slightly longer now.
  
• Holographic signs have been added to the VR Training area to describe the targets in the firing lanes, instead of the floating HUD prompt.
  
• Equivalent Male and Female voice packs have been consolidated, and will now provide versions of both upon purchase/gifting.
  
• Lumifiber Rampart Wall now has the same health pool as the normal Rampart Wall.
  
• UBP-1 Starfish and UBR-300 Swordfish are now available to unlock with certs/DBC.
  
• Impetus now has access to the Weighted Receiver attachment.
  
• "Apex" weapons now count toward the Gun Game mission.
  
• Fixed missing antennae on the Trident Relay.
  
• PSA-01 Hammerhead AMR now states the correct default zoom level.
  
• Fixed broken Anti-Materiel Rifle rechamber animations.
  
• Fixed an issue where Structure Shield Module wouldn't affect objects within its area of effect.
  
• Fixed a UI issue causing completed directives to prevent you from clicking on the pin area of adjacent directives.
  
• A codex entry has been added for the Corsair.
  
• Fixed a missing vehicle description on the ANT.
  

[h2]Looking Forward[/h2]
When Oshur was first teased, the community clamored for underwater combat, and I definitely wanted it, too. There was a lot of new going on around that time period: new tech, new ideas, new continent. There was no way we could have pulled the trigger then. The sheer volume of unproven mechanics, necessary FX, audio, playspace additions, and the unanswered question of whether underwater combat would even be fun – it would have been an insurmountable request. Happy to say though that, while Oshur isn't everyone's cup of tea, the way it reignited our players' most nostalgic memories of earliest days of this game was inspiring. It was a goal we aimed to hit, and your response gave us enough confidence to keep moving in this direction. PlanetSide 2 has always been about massive scale, combined arms, and the awe and excitement that these elements can create. Over time players will exchange excitement for efficiency, as they settle into a game's rhythm – it happens with any gaming community that's been around for long enough... But one thing (I hope) I've learned over the past 6 years as a team member, is that the original dream, promise, or memory, maybe, is the true heart of the game. Any time we can bring back that childlike wonder, when everything was fresh, and new, and unexplored, feels like a goal worthy of developing for, and I hope this update finds some of that for you again.

-Wrel, Lead Designer