PlanetSide 2

PlanetSide 2

Released Nov 2012

PlanetSide 2 is an all-out planetary war, where thousands of players battle as one across enormous continents. Utilize infantry, ground and air vehicles, and teamwork to destroy your enemies in this revolutionary first-person shooter on a massive scale.

80% positive · 75K reviews
Not yet
Released, ongoing live service game
High confidence
Live Service
Not yet
Released, ongoing live service game
High confidence
Live Service

Where to get it

Free on Steam

Evaluation

PlanetSide 2 is a free-to-play massively multiplayer shooter that has been in continuous operation since November 2012. It is fundamentally designed as a live service — the store description explicitly states "battles persist and the war never ends" — with no defined content endpoint. The game remains actively developed. The 13th Anniversary update on November 4, 2025 delivered a sweeping Infiltrator class rework (developed through four phases of public testing), new implants, a scope glint mechanic, and a full slate of anniversary cosmetics. The developer also noted in that same post that animated camouflages would "release more in the coming months," confirming planned future content at the time of writing. The Summer Bravo event structure returned in August 2025 and again in August 2026, demonstrating a consistent seasonal cadence. The most recent developer communication is a bug fix patch dated August 14, 2026 — just three days before today's assessment date — confirming the team is actively engaged with the game. Patches have continued at a steady cadence through 2025 and into 2026, covering crash fixes, anti-cheat improvements, seasonal events, new cosmetic items, and gameplay bug fixes. The game operates a rotating in-game store (the Depot) selling cosmetics for premium currency (DBC), seasonal directive events with tiered rewards, and a membership program with exclusive items — all hallmarks of an ongoing live service product. There is no indication from the developer that content development is winding down.
Evidence
Patch notes from August 13, 2026 include crash fixes, the return of the Koltyr map, a new Summer Bravo seasonal directive event running through September 2, 2026, new Depot cosmetics, and upcoming sales — confirming the game is actively updated as of three days before this assessment.
news post · Aug 14, 2026 source development ongoing
high
13th Anniversary update delivered a full Infiltrator class rework (after four phases of PTS testing), new implants, scope glint mechanic, animated camouflages, and anniversary bundles. Developer noted that more animated camos would 'release in the coming months.'
news post · Nov 4, 2025 source content planned
high

Media

Details

Publisher
Daybreak Game Company
Achievements
—
Platform
Windows
Controller
—
Steam Deck
Playable
Players
Multiplayer · PvP

About this game



PlanetSide 2 is a free-to-play, massively multiplayer online first person shooter (MMOFPS).

Empires and their soldiers battle in an all-out planetary war on a scale never before seen, in stunning, breathtaking detail. PlanetSide 2 battles persist and the war never ends, offering constant challenges of individual skill, team grit, and empire-wide coordination. Take up arms and drop into intense infantry, vehicle, and air combat.

Players come together in enormous battles across four massive continents to win control of critical territories, gaining key resources for their empire. With an extensive skill tree and class-based system, players can customize their soldier, weapons, and vehicles to match their playstyle and meet the needs of their squads, outfits, and empires. In the world of PlanetSide 2, every soldier makes a difference.

THREE WARRING EMPIRES

Players will choose to align with one of three empires: the militaristic, authoritarian Terran Republic; the rebellious, freedom-fighting New Conglomerate; or the technocratic, alien-influenced Vanu Sovereignty. Each empire has access to empire-specific weapons, attachments, vehicles, abilities, and more.


MASSIVE WARFARE

Battles take place not between dozens of soldiers, but between hundreds. They fight on foot. They pile into vehicles. They take to the skies in devastating aircraft. Each battleground holds valuable resources and strategic positions, and the empire that can conquer and hold these territories will be rewarded with the resources and the means to achieve victory.

ENORMOUS MAPS

PlanetSide 2 features four incredible and diverse continent maps with dozens of square kilometers of seamless gameplay space, every inch of which is hand-crafted and contestable. Whether in open fields, barren desert, in armed and armored bases, or in the skies, victory will rely on knowing your surroundings.


PERSISTENCE THAT PAYS

In PlanetSide 2 the war isn’t won by a single base capture. The core gameplay of PlanetSide 2 is about holding crucial territories and controlling resources. Working strategically as a team to secure tactical positions has long-lasting effects that can shift the tide of battle.

CLASS-BASED COMBAT

Players can build their soldier to match wants and their allies' needs. Six distinct classes provide a wealth of squad options and combat tactics. Grow your soldier over time as you master each combat role, weapon, and vehicle, laterally unlocking hundreds of weapons, attachments, gear, skills, vehicles, and more.




Heavy Assault: Rush into the battle guns blazing. You are the dedicated foot soldier of Auraxis.

Light Assault: Go where the Heavies can’t with your short-burst jetpack. Pick a high spot, throw a grenade, and out maneuver your foes!

Combat Medic: Keep your fellow soldiers alive and in fighting shape. You are the beating heart of any squad.

Infiltrator: Stay silent. Stay invisible. You are death from the shadows, whether with a knife from behind or a single shot from a sniper's nest. You are the enemy's constant fear.

Engineer: Deploy crucial equipment. Resupply your allies. Fix the thing, then fix it again. You keep the machines running, the tanks firing, and the war effort moving forward.

MAX: Step into your Mechanized Assault Exo-Suit (MAX). Cannons for hands, armor for flesh, and a disposition to match, you are a walking mass of nigh unstoppable death.

OUTFIT TEAMWORK

Join or form your own Outfit, a like-minded group of soldiers who train together day in and day out. Whether a small rapid response team or a massive clan, Outfits are vital to each empire's strategic organization.


VEHICLES & WEAPONS

Train and equip your soldier how you want, with a huge array of weapons and vehicles which can be extensively customized by preference or purpose, using attachments, upgrades, and add-ons earned in the war.

PLAY FOR FREE



Last evaluated Aug 17, 2026
Something about this evaluation looks wrong Report illegal or harmful content