Across the continents of Auraxis, thousands of players will come together in enormous battles to win control of territory and resources for their empire. With an extensive skill tree and a free-form class-based system, players will be able to customize their soldier, weapons and vehicles to match their play-style, or the needs of their squad, outfit or empire. Battles can last for days or weeks, so players will need to build real alliances and combat outfits to take on long-term strategic and tactical initiatives. With air, ground and seaborne combat, the battles are more intense than ever. 

Various character, vehicle and artillery customization features will be available to players constructing the perfect fighter for their favorite of the three empires: The Terran Republic (the conservative, authoritative nation aiming to reunite the clashing factions), The New Conglomerate (a liberated faction fighting to remaining free) or The Vanu Sovereignty (technophiles seeking to develop and exploit alien technology). Also, an in-depth and adaptive class system – with ranks, unlockable traits and skill sets – will give players complete control over their online warrior.

Set to launch this December, Expedition: Oshur is the first full-scale continent to be introduced to PlanetSide 2 in seven years and the first to feature water-based gameplay with battles taking place, not just on land or in the skies, but also at and below the sea.

“Rarely do we get to deliver players an entirely new combat space, and it’s been years since a playspace has been created at this scale,” said Michael Henderson, Lead Designer of PlanetSide 2 at Rogue Planet Games. “The team has done some amazing work bringing this to fruition, and I think our players are really going to dig it.”

Expedition: Oshur will include a full-featured water system that will be a part of the proprietary Forgelight engine. Wheeled vehicles putter along the water’s surface, treaded vehicles and infantry prowl the ocean floor, and the nimblest aircraft can navigate beneath the waves like a submarine. Special weapons are released alongside the update and are required to fight effectively underwater. 

Oshur will make its debut in the storyline of the first chapter of a two-fold campaign, set to be released alongside PlanetSide 2’s nine-year anniversary celebration on November 17.  At that time, players will embark on missions and solve in-game challenges that will lead them to this forgotten paradise island abandoned in the early days of Auraxian War.  

All players, even those who choose not to play through the campaign, will be able to adventure to Oshur in early December when the second chapter of the campaign begins. The campaign will also reward new underwater weaponry, cosmetics, and will grant access to special, prototype vehicles available only during the campaign.