PlanetSide
A persistent-world FPS series with thousands of players per battle.
PlanetSide is a franchise of massively multiplayer online first-person shooters from Daybreak Game Company. The original game, launched by Sony Online Entertainment in 2003 for Windows, let thousands of players battle for territory in a persistent world. Its sequel, PlanetSide 2, arrived in 2012 with faster action, modern shooter mechanics, and high-end graphics.
The main games follow three factions—the New Conglomerate, Vanu Sovereignty, and Terran Republic—as they vie for control of the planet Auraxis. Each side has its own weapons and vehicles, and players engage in combined-arms warfare to capture territory in a persistent world. Unlike smaller, instanced matches in other shooters, PlanetSide titles feature massive, seamless continents where battles can involve thousands of participants. PlanetSide 2 holds the Guinness World Record for "Most players in an online FPS battle."
**Factions**
**Terran Republic (TR)** The Terran Republic is an authoritarian colonial government that uses military force to keep strict control over Auraxis's citizens, claiming to act for Earth's Terran Republic. Focused on law and order, they see the rebellion as proof that strong measures are needed. Opponents view them as oppressive and dictatorial, while others see them as the only path to lasting peace. Their colors are red and black. TR forces rely on rapid-fire conventional weapons with large magazines, fast medium tanks, and quick fighter aircraft.
**New Conglomerate (NC)** The New Conglomerate is a loose band of self-proclaimed freedom fighters, seen by enemies as corporate-backed terrorists. They violently resist the Terran Republic's grip on Auraxis, led by a mix of outcasts, frontier industrialists, pirates, and turncoat military leaders. They are determined to achieve freedom by any means. Their colors are blue and gold. NC forces use hard-hitting electromagnetic weapons like gauss and railguns, effective at short to medium range but bulky with moderate reload speeds. They field durable, heavily armed shock troops, slow but well-armored heavy tanks, and heavy fighters loaded with powerful ordnance.
**Vanu Sovereignty (VS)** The Vanu Sovereignty is a secretive, cult-like group that believes humanity can evolve only through alien technology.
Quick Facts
- Title
- PlanetSide
- Developer
- Rogue Planet Games
- Publisher
- Daybreak Game Company
- Genre
- Massively multiplayer online first-person shooter
- First Release Date
- May 20, 2003
- Latest Release Version
- PlanetSide Arena
- Latest Release Date
- September 19, 2019
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The main series games in the franchise chronicle the efforts of three factions—the New Conglomerate, Vanu Sovereignty and Terran Republic—as they fight for control of the planet Auraxis. Players have access to a vast arsenal of weapons and vehicles unique to their faction and engage in combined arms warfare to conquer territory in a persistent world. Rather than featuring small, instanced matches like many other first-person shooters, the PlanetSide series features massive, seamless continents that allow battles potentially thousands of users can participate in.
The Terran Republic is an authoritarian colonial government that leverages military might to maintain strict control over Auraxis.
Reader's Guide
The PlanetSide series is significant for pioneering the massively multiplayer online first-person shooter genre with persistent, seamless worlds supporting thousands of concurrent players. Both PlanetSide and PlanetSide 2 have set the Guinness World Record for 'Most players in an online FPS battle,' with the latter still holding the record to this day; this record has since been unofficially surpassed by PlanetSide 2 players in both 2020 and 2022. The series introduced faction-based asymmetrical warfare, with each of the three main factions—Terran Republic, New Conglomerate, and Vanu Sovereignty—offering distinct weaponry, vehicles, and playstyles. The original PlanetSide was released in 2003, became free-to-play in 2014, and its servers closed in 2016. PlanetSide 2, a re-imagining released in 2012, continues to operate. A spin-off, PlanetSide Arena, entered early access in 2019 but shut down in 2020 due to low player counts. A cancelled project, PlanetSide Next, was developed for Asian markets. The series remains a benchmark for large-scale combined arms warfare in online gaming.
Did You Know?
- Nanite Systems Operatives are robot mercenaries assigned to the faction with the lowest population.
- PlanetSide Arena, a spin-off, was shut down on January 10, 2020 due to low player counts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PlanetSide?
PlanetSide is a series of massively multiplayer online first-person shooters published by Daybreak Game Company, originally launched by Sony Online Entertainment in 2003. The defining hook is a single persistent world where thousands of players fight simultaneously without loading screens between zones.
What are the three factions in PlanetSide?
Players pick a side from the New Conglomerate, the Vanu Sovereignty, or the Terran Republic, each offering unique weapon kits, vehicle rosters, and visual identity. All three are locked in a never-ending territorial war across the planet Auraxis.
What makes PlanetSide different from other MMO FPS titles?
Rather than shuffling players into small instanced lobbies, PlanetSide drops everyone into one seamless open map where infantry, ground vehicles, and aircraft can clash in the same continuous engagement. This design supports combined-arms warfare at a scale no other online shooter typically attempts.
How many players have fought in a single PlanetSide battle?
PlanetSide 2 holds a Guinness World Record for the largest online first-person shooter battle, with tens of thousands of players connected in one session. The engine and server architecture were purpose-built to sustain that level of simultaneous combat.
When did PlanetSide 2 come out and how does it compare to the 2003 original?
PlanetSide 2 launched in 2012 as a free-to-play reimagining, bringing faster gunplay, modernized movement mechanics, and a major graphical upgrade over the 2003 title. It also broadened platform support, eventually reaching PlayStation 4 in addition to Microsoft Windows.
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