The first title to truly bridge the PC and console platforms, DUST 514 is a persistent shooter that delivers an immersive experience of brutal ground combat and strategic planetary conquest set in the thriving universe of CCP’s science-fiction MMO for PC and Mac, EVE Online. In DUST 514, mercenaries on the ground wage war to acquire territory, resources and notoriety, forging and breaking agreements with the starship pilots of EVE Online as they work together in real-time to control vast regions of deep space. Players in EVE Online and DUST 514 share a realistic, player-driven economy. Every action in DUST 514 has real consequences that ripple across a persistent universe spanning thousands of star systems. In DUST 514, unlike in any other game, your actions can topple empires.

Vehicle classes in DUST 514 resemble modern day battlefield armored vehicles but are more menacing…and multitudes more lethal. You can also customize the vehicles with weapons and modules to ensure highly dynamic and constantly evolving gameplay where no single vehicle can impose absolute supremacy. The ultimate goal is to create an experience where players make meaningful choices based on their surroundings and situations when deploying vehicles.

Vehicles are highly customizable; these units can be fitted with a broad arsenal of armaments, bolstered by modules that can be installed to apply bonuses and abilities to further enhance a vehicle’s combat effectiveness.

Players will be able to choose arms from all the familiar EVE Online weapon classes, from energy-based laser weapons, blaster and rail cannon hybrid technology to traditional projectile and missile weaponry. Each of these weapon types are divided over racial factions, having an affinity towards vehicle hulls from similar origins. Vehicles like the Caldari heavy attack Vehicle (HAV) for example, are well suited to using technologies embraced by the Caldari, such as their powerful armor-rupturing railgun cannons. This is not to say that this is the de facto weapon choice for the Caldari HAV. Players will have to weigh out their combat strategy, determining what style of weapon will appeal to their play style and the demands to be met for battle at hand. If there is a perceived aerial threat, players may choose to swap out their main turret mount for a large bank of guided heavy missiles to pluck their enemy’s dropships from the sky.

Add to this the power of vehicle modules onboard and a carefully tailored vehicle can truly be a force to be reckoned with. Modules fall under different umbrellas: electronic warfare, weapons modules, and engineering just to name a few. Engineering modules enable players to enhance essential functionality of their vehicle by increasing armor strength, increasing shield resilience, or improving overall speed and handling. Weapons modules and electronic warfare modules take on another dimension of utility. Weapons modules can outwardly boost the power of a vehicle’s turrets by increasing the rate of fire or damage factor per shot, while electronic warfare class modules enable players to immobilize unsuspecting targets with stasis webifiers, cripple enemy turrets with tracking disruptors, or enhance guided missile lethality on target-painted hostiles.

The modularity of these types of equipment allows players to create custom functionality across all vehicle classes simply by installing modules into a vehicle’s allotted number of slots on a vehicle fitting screen. The combined CPU and powergrid cost of all modules weighed against each vehicle’s unique CPU and powergrid resource pool determines the diversity and potency of its fit. This versatile system gives a player the ability to fit for specific tactics or purposes, putting as much creativity into the hands of the player as possible.

Vehicles can be delivered to any location on the battlefield accessible to the Rapid Deployment Vehicle (RDV). This allows players to analyze their current situation, evaluate their resources as well as their chance of success, and deploy vehicles and aerial units accordingly at any given time. Whether to deploy a heavy attack vehicle (HAV) to break through a tough defense point or a dropship to deliver infantry behind enemy lines to and wreak havoc is all up to the players, their strategy and current goals.

Vehicles play a large role on the battlefield and are a significant threat to the opposition. The heavily armored units use long-range heavy concussive attacks while lighter units emphasize speed and flexibility. Aerial vehicles, on the other hand, excel at laying down fire from above; their vantage point over the battlefield also puts them in a good position to provide vital support functions for armored units. Each vehicle will have its own set of unique bonuses or abilities allowing them to turn the tide in battle. Many of these abilities are of a support nature, allowing different types of vehicles to team up to create even more unique roles between classes.

Vehicles and Infantry have a symbiotic relationship on the battlefield, and will rely on each other in many situations. Fully utilizing the offensive capabilities of most vehicles requires the turrets to be manned. Players can spawn directly into vehicles equipped with clone reactivation units, allowing them to get into the midst of battle within seconds after dying. Infantry can be dropped off by aerial units to vantage points not reachable by foot, or they can hitch a ride with light vehicles to cross the vast terrains in a speedy manner. Vehicles also provide support in taking objectives, laying down suppressive fire to hold back the enemy while infantry move in to take control of objectives.

In a similar way, infantry supports vehicles by scouting and setting up traps. Infantry can utilize stasis webification bubbles, target painters and other tools that disable or temporarily make enemy vehicles and installations open to attack.

Name: Saga
Hull: N/A
Race: Caldari
Class: Light Vehicle
Role: Light Attack Vehicle (LAV)
Slots: 3H / 2L
Crew: 3
PG: 180kW
CPU: 190tf

LAVs are highly versatile light armor attack vehicles with a crew capacity of up to three squad members. They are capable of stacking a wide array of lightweight modules in a single configuration, which allows them to assume a very dynamic support role on the battlefield. As an offensive unit they find strength in numbers, often found amongst a group of other LAVs at the front line of battle. Their high degree of mobility and relatively low cost make them a very common, favored anti-infantry unit amongst many mercenary contingents. However, the driver of an LAV needs to persistently be aware of how exposed his crew is to enemy fire and react appropriately so as to avoid having himself and his fellow crew mates picked off before they can land the first punch.

Name: Limbus
Hull: N/A
Race: Gallente
Class: Light Vehicle
Role: Logistics
Slots: 3H / 3L
Crew: 3
PG: 310kW
CPU: 124tf

The Gallente light logistics vehicle (LLV) is designed specifically as an infantry armor augmenter, providing infantry on the front lines with emergency repairs in the heat of battle. Due to its lightweight advanced armor coating, the LLV is quite tough compared to its light vehicle siblings. It feels nimble and is able to traverse multiple terrain types with ease. Although the LLV is mostly focused on support, it is mounted with a weapon hardpoint allowing it to fend off enemy infantry.

Name: Gunnlogi
Hull: N/A
Race: Caldari
Class: Heavy Vehicle
Role: Heavy Assault Vehicle (HAV)
Slots: 5H / 2L
Crew: 3
PG: 1780kW
CPU: 330tf

The heavy attack vehicle (HAV) class has a great combination of weapon hard-points, thick armor, and all-terrain mobility. Their role on the battlefield is to provide heavily armed support at a mid- to long- range distance, assisting lightly armored units as well as infantry. Depending on the type of main turret equipped, an HAV can relinquish its ground-pounding power for an anti-air focus.

Their thick armor enables HAVs to sustain a heavy degree of damage, giving them great staying power to endure extended combat engagement. Their competency on rough terrain allows the driver to place the HAV in tactically advantageous positions to close the trap on the enemy, or to alternatively scale challenging geographical obstacles that would otherwise inhibit less off-road capable units.

Name: Prometheus
Hull: Grimsnes
Race: Gallente
Class: Dropship
Role: Support
Slots: 2H / 4L
Crew: 7
PG: 380kW
CPU: 140tf

The dropship’s function is to support ground units by laying down fire from its two small turret hardpoints, and dropping off infantry reinforcements. It is one of the most maneuverable vehicles capable of hover flight. This allows it to quickly insert fresh infantry into a combat area with great efficiency, as well as afford it the maneuverability to effectively fall back and lay direct fire from an aerial support position. The Gunnlogi has a built in mobile clone reactivation unit, allowing infantry to awaken strapped in and ready to be dropped into combat by the pilot, anywhere on the battlefield.

DUST 514 is a game of brutal ground combat and planetary conquest in which the actions of players on the PS3 will have a profound and mutual effect on the fates of hundreds of thousands of PC gamers in the vast interstellar reaches of EVE Online.

With DUST 514, EVE's starship pilots can forge alliances with DUST 514 mercenaries to engage in fierce surface firefights to conquer territories on the planets of New Eden, which are common to both games. The actions of ground troops and orbiting attack fleets are tightly interwoven, with the real time actions of players in one game directly affecting the other. A single bullet fired on the planet below can pivot the balance of power in EVE Online. Every action has consequences, and every reaction has the potential to topple empires.

DUST 514 has been built from the ground up to take advantage of the unique capabilities of the PlayStation platform. Digitally distributed, the full game download will be available through the PlayStation Network (PSN). It will feature full support for PlayStation Move controller and PlayStation Move Sharp Shooter accessory, and over time will extend the game experience across the full PlayStation ecosystem to PlayStation Home and PS Vita.

In a departure from the traditional subscription or one-time purchase model, DUST 514 will be supported by revenues from the in-game sale of virtual goods, allowing players to purchase advanced weaponry, battle gear and vehicles using both earned virtual currency and real money from their PlayStation wallet.