It’s finally happening: Escalation is about to go live for eager PlanetSide 2 players.
We’ve been covering this update since February, when Daybreak and Rogue Planet Games announced a February 19th deployment, then delayed to the 26th, then delayed again to March 11th as the team continued testing and shoring up specific issues with Bastion syncing and Sanctuary performance. Well, looky there on the calendar: It’s now March 11th!
“We’re excited to bring to you one of the largest updates in PlanetSide 2’s seven-year history,” Daybreak says. “If you’re new to the game, or are a returning veteran, we welcome you to the fight for Auraxis. Outfits (or guilds/clans in other games) are an important part of the game’s ecosystem, as they help acclimate new players to this grueling, endless war, and empower the strategic gameplay that sets PlanetSide 2 apart from other shooters. With the Escalation update, we sought to elevate Outfits and the communities that surround them by offering a new metagame atop the day-to-day war on Auraxis, a new system of Outfit armaments that we will continue to expand upon in the future, and a competitive space for Outfits who are driven to prove themselves the best on their server.”
As we’ve previously noted, part of the team had already moved on to working on the update coming after Escalation, a good sign for the future of the game. RPG’s Andy Sites has also discussed the physical relocation of the EU region servers to a new data center, also happening today. NA servers, at least, are expected back up around noon EDT today, while EU players will be waiting until tomorrow.
Click to show full press releaseSAN DIEGO, Calif. – March 11, 2020 – Rogue Planet Games™ today released Escalation for PlanetSide 2 – the biggest update to Steam’s #1 free-to-play MMO first-person (MMOFPS) shooter since the game’s launch in 2012. Escalation introduces new guild-based endgame tournaments (Outfit Wars), an expansive War Assets system for dedicated Outfits, the cross-empire Sanctuary Social Hub, and the looming Bastion Fleet Carrier, a massive interplanetary aircraft that can now be called down to the battlefields of Auraxis.
“We are excited to provide the PlanetSide 2 community with an expansion that rewards our most dedicated players; past, present and future,” said Andy Sites, Executive Producer on the PlanetSide Franchise for Rogue Planet Games. “The new seasonal tournaments for dedicated Outfits, Cross-Empire Social Zone, and a meta-changing War Asset System add even greater depth and scale to PlanetSide 2’s unique all-out planetary warfare gameplay.”
Escalation’s major highlight is Outfit Wars – new end-game content for PS2’s unique MMOFPS guild system. Dedicated Outfits can qualify for monthly GvGvG tournaments on the new “Desolation” asteroid map, taking players off-planet for the first time. The new War Asset system also adds strategic depth and variety to Outfit play, allowing guilds to collect resources that can be crafted into assets including:
•Bastion Fleet Carrier: This massive interplanetary fleet carrier features mannable turrets, ship-mounted artillery cannons, an interceptor launch platform, and mobile vehicle respawn points
•Steel Rain: A coordinated platoon drop pod assault onto a target location
•Citadel Shield: A sturdy projectile-blocking bubble shield the size of a small outpost
•A.N.V.I.L.: Airdrop a ground vehicle of your choice on demand
•Orbital Satellite Uplink: Radio in an Orbital Strike anywhere on the battlefieldIn addition, the Escalation update debuts a new Outfit Loyalty system for players to earn and spend communal merit, and the massive Sanctuary Zone, a new community hub for players of all Empires to trade, recruit, and relax outside of combat. Sanctuary will feature cross-faction communication, Outfit vendors, and new tutorial content for players of all ability levels.
🚨ESCALATION UPDATE🚨
EU Live servers are coming up now – ALL PC servers are now unlocked for play! Thank you for your patience, soldiers!
— PlanetSide 2 (@planetside2) March 12, 2020
