Daybreak Games
Rumors of a sequel to 2012’s PlanetSide 2, the beloved sci-fi multiplayer shooter known for its massive player counts per match, have been buzzing since May. Today, Developer Daybreak Games announced the long awaited sequel, PlanetSide Arena. While it may not be PlanetSide 3 as was originally speculated, Executive Producer Andy Sites reassured Heavy that this is a full-on main series entry. He said the team learned a lot from working on PlanetSide 2 and H1Z1 and applied that to make PlanetSide Arena the game that it is.
“PlanetSide is a ground-breaking series that introduced the gaming world to truly epic FPS battles,” said Daybreak Games CEO Ji Ham in a press release sent to Heavy. “We are very excited to introduce PlanetSide Arena as the next step in the growth of the franchise, as we continue to invest and build towards our vision for the future of the entire PlanetSide universe.”
Heavy was shown pre-release footage of PlanetSide Arena in a Skype call with Sites and Lead Game Designer Tony Morton in advance of its announcement today.
Here’s everything you need to know about PlanetSide Arena’s release date, gameplay and more.
PlanetSide Arena Release Date
Daybreak Games
PlanetSide Arena will release on Steam for Windows PC on January 29, 2019.
PlanetSide Arena Gameplay & Battle Royale Mode
Daybreak Games
Sites told Heavy that PlanetSide Arena‘s game modes are available on a rotation between different seasons. Each season introduces a new gameplay mode, which will include team deathmatch, search and destroy, global conquest, capture the flag and more. Sites said that this rotation of game modes is done to keep the game fresh. Each season will also see the introduction of new weapons and vehicles as well as updates to the map that range from minor changes to entirely new maps. Story arcs that delve into the past, present and future of the PlanetSide story will be included with each season. Sites said that these stories will lead up to the next big PlanetSide game.
At launch, PlanetSide Arena will feature a Battle Royale mode. Matches involve 100 players fighting to be the last one standing. You can play either solo or as a team of three. Sites told Heavy that they are launching with the Battle Royale mode because that was what the initial prototype for the game was based on and it really impressed the team.
At the beginning of the match, players can descend from the sky from a massive dropship. You’ll actually be able to run around in the ship before the match starts. Once the battle begins, you can choose when and where to drop and then descend via a drop-pod. From the gameplay footage we’ve seen, you can’t glide after falling for a while like in Fortnite but you do have quite a lot of mobility and precision while plummeting from the sky.
Once on the ground, you’ll have to be wary of the constantly shrinking Radiation Zone (think the Storm in Fortnite). Fortunately, you can summon a personal ride to traverse the map. These rides operate on a cooldown, so you won’t be able to summon another ride until the cooldown ends. One of the personal rides is the Flash, an ATV with one person driving and another riding in the back. You can also find vehicles in the map, such as the bulky Harasser that has one person driving, one person riding in the back and another operating the turret on top. You can also move around with a jetpack that replenishes fuel when you’re not using it.
Daybreak Games
Players can pick on of three classes at launch. The Assault class has a dash jumpjet move for speedy traversal, a healing/harm totem that heals themselves and teammates in an area while harming opponents and a passive skill that increases sprint speed. The Medic class has an AOE healing ability, a shield regeneration device and an Interaction Time Buff that allows them to resurrect players faster. The Engineer class has a hardlight barrier that blocks incoming fire, a spitfire turret and a passive skill that boosts shield regeneration.
Throughout the map, you’ll find new weapons sat atop pedestals. Sites told Heavy that the weapons were placed there so that players wouldn’t have to constantly look at the ground to pick them up and would be better aware of their surroundings. Weapons come in a variety of rarities, with epic and legendary quality weapons being the best. Weapons can also be found in crates that take time to open as well as air supply drops that offer great gear but can potentially leave you open to an ambush. You’ll also find new passive abilities in the map that award bonuses like faster reload speed.
One particularly interesting and potentially game-changing weapon is the Orbital Strike Grenade. After the grenade is thrown, a massive beam of energy descends from the sky onto the spot where the grenade was thrown. The beam instantly kills players within the beam while those surrounding it are thrown back quite a distance. You’ll know in advance when and where the beam will come down because of the audiovisual ques and the symbol on the mini map marking its exact location. We can only imagine the chaos this will bring when there’s only a small bit of map unclaimed by the Radiation Zone.
You can also grab weapons from Terminals found throughout the map, and they tie in directly with the Battle Pass. The pass works similarly to those found in other Battle Royale games, with players earning experience through daily challenges and other ways of progressing to move up the pass’ tiers and unlock different items. The items are available throughout each season and include cosmetic items and weapon blueprints. The blueprints can be equipped in your loadout so that when you come to a weapon terminal, you can spend the in-game currency acquired through the match to buy the weapon. Weapon blueprints get better as your progress through the pass, rewarding those who put more time into it. As PlanetSide Arena is a paid download, everyone gets access to the Battle Pass.
Daybreak Games
Death works slightly differently in team matches from other Battle Royale games. After your health is depleted, you can be revived by a teammates until about 60 seconds have elapsed. Other players cannot kill you early while you’re in this state like in other games. They need to wait for the timer to drop until the player dies and all of their loot drops. You have to weight the consequences of waiting for items to drop or moving on.
To differentiate itself from other multiplayer shooters, Daybreak Games incorporated PlanetSide’s trademark scale into the game. The developer is know for holding a Guinness World Record for hosting 1,158 players in a single match in PlanetSide 2, according to Eurogamer. They’re starting small – if you can call it that – right at launch with the Massive Clash mode that pits two teams of 250 players each against each other. Sites told Heavy that they want to eventually include matches and game modes with up to 1,000 players, though they may leave it at 800 if the game is more fun that way.
“PlanetSide Arena offers fans something new that both preserves and builds upon all the traits that made PlanetSide 2 so unique: the massive-scale warfare, the smooth movement and combat mechanics and the iconic vehicles and weapons,” said PlanetSide 2 Producer Nick Silva in a press release sent to Heavy. “It’s a huge win for all of us to introduce more players to the franchise.”
The team will stay committed to supporting PlanetSide 2 even after the release of PlanetSide Arena. In fact, Sites said that the engine improvements being made for PlanetSide Arena will also be applied to PlanetSide 2. A new robotic faction will also be introduced in PlanetSide 2’s upcoming sixth anniversary update. In addition, the next major update for the game in 2019 will introduce Oshur, the first new continent added to the game in five years.
PlanetSide Arena Price & Pre-Order
Daybreak Games
PlanetSide Arena comes in two prices. the Sanctuary Assault Edition ($19.99) comes with the Season One Battle Pass and the Assault Armor set. The Legendary Edition ($39.99) comes with the Season One Battle Pass, one armor set each for the three classes, and the M-20 Tempest (hoverbike) Pack. Unlike PlanetSide 2, PlanetSide Arena is not free-to-play.
PlanetSide Arena is now available for pre-order on Steam and includes Closed Beta access. Access to the Closed Beta will also be offered to Daybreak Games’ “most loyal and active PlanetSide 2 players,” according to a press release sent to Heavy.
Who are Daybreak Games?
Daybreak Games
Daybreak Games are known for online games. They were behind EverQuest, one of the most influential and successful MMORPGs ever made. They first launched the PlanetSide franchise in 2003, allowing players to play against hundreds of other players in massive sci-fi battles. H1Z1 was one of the first Battle Royale-style games, predating PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and Fortnite. The company also publishes The Lord of the Rings Online and Dungeons & Dragons Online for Standing Stone Games, according to a press release. The developer is headquartered in San Diego with development studios in Austin, Tx., Boston and South Korea.
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