Frequently Asked Questions
The most-asked questions about massively multiplayer online first-person shooter games.
What is a massively multiplayer online first-person shooter?
It is a subgenre of FPS games in which hundreds or thousands of players compete simultaneously on one persistent server rather than in small lobby-based matches. The scale produces large-scale territorial warfare where multiple factions fight over a shared, continuously evolving world.
How does an MMO FPS differ from a standard online multiplayer shooter?
Standard online shooters typically pit 8–64 players in discrete matches that reset after each round, while an MMO FPS maintains a continuous world where thousands of players contest persistent territory. There is no 'match end'; the server runs around the clock and map control shifts in real time.
What are the most well-known games in this genre?
The PlanetSide series (2002 and 2012) is the defining example, regularly hosting hundreds of concurrent players per server. Other titles with MMO FPS characteristics include Red Orchestra 2's large-scale modes and War Thunder's ground combat, though PlanetSide remains the genre's flagship.
Who developed the most prominent MMO FPS titles?
Sony Online Entertainment created both the original PlanetSide (2002) and PlanetSide 2 (2012). Red 5 Studios, a Sony subsidiary, led PlanetSide 2 development before the studio was dissolved in 2017.
Where should a newcomer start if they want to try an MMO FPS?
PlanetSide 2 is the most accessible entry point because it is free-to-play and has an active community. New players typically join a faction, learn the capture-point mechanics, and start with infantry before progressing to vehicles.
What are the typical player counts on a single server?
PlanetSide 2 servers have historically supported up to 2,000 concurrent players per server, with peak events occasionally exceeding that. This is orders of magnitude larger than a typical 32-player Battlefield or Call of Duty match.
What are the main factions in PlanetSide 2?
The three playable factions are the New Conglomerate (industrial/corporate), the Terran Republic (military/government), and the Vanu Sovereignty (alien/religious). Each has distinct weapon aesthetics, vehicle designs, and visual themes.
What is a 'capture point' and why is it central to MMO FPS gameplay?
Capture points are zones on the map that any faction can seize by holding them long enough, shifting control and granting resource advantages to the owning side. The constant back-and-forth over these points creates the genre's signature large-scale territorial warfare.
What happened to the original PlanetSide (2002)?
The first PlanetSide was a landmark title that pioneered the MMO FPS format with up to 500 players per server. It was shut down in 2015 after Sony decided not to renew the server infrastructure, and its legacy carried forward through PlanetSide 2.
What makes MMO FPS games technically challenging to run?
Simulating thousands of players, their projectiles, vehicle physics, and faction-wide resource economies on a single server demands enormous computational resources. This is why true MMO FPS titles remain rare—most studios opt for smaller-scale multiplayer to keep server costs manageable.