User blog:Bloodhit111/Escalation is coming soon to PlanetSide 2!

Mobilize your Outfit and gear up for deployment, soldiers, Escalation is inbound and the war for Auraxis will be forever changed!

Camaraderie, teamplay, and scale are the bedrock principles PlanetSide 2 is built upon, and the new Escalation game update aims to reinforce all three of them. This massive game update introduces new content for players of all levels, creates a deeper experience for our most dedicated player communities, and adds strategic depth and communal goals to PlanetSide 2 gameplay.

Escalation is scheduled to launch on PC live servers on Wednesday, February 19, 2020. It will be available TOMORROW, Friday February 7, at 2:00 PM PST to play on the Public Test Server. Start patching up Test now, Auraxians!

If you missed the Rogue Planet Dev team's Livestream announcement, you can check it on our official Youtube channel or watch below:



Join us back at twitch.tv/planetside2 at 2:00PM PST tomorrow when our team showcases live gameplay from the update on PTS!

Read on for a full breakdown of everything coming in this update:

OPERATIONAL BASTION FLEET CARRIERS
Escalation keeps a heavy focus on the Outfit system, introducing new communal content and features that aim to deepen the core gameplay experience for dedicated Outfits of all levels. That starts with the looming arrival of the biggest bad the battlefield has to offer: the Bastion Fleet Carrier.

Each Outfit now has access to their own Bastion! This massive interplanetary craft can be called into battle once refueled and rearmed. The Bastion is the ultimate force multiplier on the battlefield, capable of engaging enemies at long distances with mannable turrets, and serving as an air vehicle spawn point for your Outfit. They require a coordinated effort to bring down (multiple weak points must be destroyed), and when an Outfit calls one planetside, their enemies must respond or risk being overwhelmed!

Bastions require significant Outfit coordination and investment to call in, and each Empire can only field one at any given time. Additionally, Bastions contribute to Empire Strength while deployed.

WAR ASSETS
War Assets provide Outfits new tools to impact the flow of battle, offer more strategic control for Outfit leaders, and add depth and variety to every soldier's gameplay experience. Capturing bases around the map now secures new Outfit resources that can be used to craft War Assets in your Outfit Armory. War Assets can then be called onto the battlefields of Auraxis. Examples of new craftables include:


 * Bastion Fleet Carrier: Outfit air-based troop transport, mobile respawn point, and air vehicle spawn point
 * Steel Rain: Coordinated drop pod assault onto a target location
 * Citadel Shield: A massive projectile-blocking bubble shield that can be crafted to protect bases
 * A.N.V.I.L.: Airdrop a ground vehicle of your choice into combat
 * Orbital Satellite Uplink: Radio in an Orbital Strike anywhere on the battlefield

War Assets take time and resources to craft, and Outfit leaders will have the ability to grant privileges to their Outfit members to craft and/or deploy these Assets and turn the tides of battle!

OUTFIT WARS
Dedicated Outfits now have the opportunity to qualify for Outfit Wars, a monthly competition in a battle for off-planet supremacy! Any Outfit can qualify by acquiring resources and helping their Empire in the main game, with the highest-ranking Outfits from each Empire squaring off in three-way GvGvG battle on Desolation, a new asteroid continent (map) orbiting Auraxis. The victor receives additional resources, rewards, and glory for their Empire!



The Outfit Wars competition cycle will consist of an off-season where players can choose to opt into the qualifying phase. At the end of each qualifying phase, the highest ranked Outfits will enter into up to three qualifying brackets, before going head to head (to head) on Desolation.

OUTFIT LOYALTY
Escalation introduces a new personal progression system for every player in an Outfit that advances when capturing or defending bases with Outfit mates. “Loyalty Level” increases over time in a battle rank-style vertical progression, while "Merit" can be earned from completing meritorious actions with your Outfit. Merit acts as a currency which can be spent at Outfit Vendors in Sanctuary, while Loyalty Level will determine what kinds of items are available for purchase.

SANCTUARY
This update also brings the debut of Sanctuary, a new social hub for players of all Empires. Initially, Sanctuary will serve as a recruitment area for Outfit leaders, a trading space for new vendor NPCs, and a low-key relaxation zone for the war-weary. Sanctuary launches with the spacious Atrium area, as well as the Central Operations area. This environment will continue to expand as an in-game community space, and act as a foundation for future functionality.

Escalation is coming to the Public Test Server TOMORROW, Friday February 7, at 2:00 PM PST - you can start patching PTS right now - and we'll need your help and feedback to get everything shipshape for launch on February 19, 2020!

Excited to check out Escalation on PTS? Let us know what you're looking forward to on Twitter, Facebook, or the official PS2 forums! Original post