PlanetSide 2 gets huge beta update, base capturing and metagame improved

With PlanetSide 2 launching in just over a week, SOE are working overtime to get the game in tip-top shape. Last week they added the final launch continent, and this week they're focusing on the overall metagame, in addition to making base captures tougher and, well, better. You'll find the full list of changes here , but we've plucked out a few highlights after the break.

One of the most notable features of the patch is the new 'Tug of War' base capturing, which replaces the ticket system of old. SOE recommend bringing along a strong squad (or even a platoon) for captures now, as this new system is set to be a tougher and less flip-floppy one. On the metagame side, there are new base facility ownership bonuses, along with added continent domination benefits. As SOE put it, "capturing all contested territories in a continent will provide a temporary bonus to the controlling empire." Conquering Indar will grant you a "reduction of cost for items purchased with Infantry resources," while Esamir and Amerish do the same but for "vehicles purchased with mechanized resources" and "aircraft purchased with aerospace resources" respectively.

It's certainly a big ol' update, and we suspect it won't be the last. PlanetSide 2 shoots its way out of beta on November 20th, which is so close we can almost taste it.

Tom Sykes

Tom loves exploring in games, whether it’s going the wrong way in a platformer or burgling an apartment in Deus Ex. His favourite game worlds—Stalker, Dark Souls, Thief—have an atmosphere you could wallop with a blackjack. He enjoys horror, adventure, puzzle games and RPGs, and played the Japanese version of Final Fantasy VIII with a translated script he printed off from the internet. Tom has been writing about free games for PC Gamer since 2012. If he were packing for a desert island, he’d take his giant Columbo boxset and a laptop stuffed with PuzzleScript games.