‘PlanetSide 2′ Closed Beta Set For PS4 Debut on January 20

Developed by Sony Online Entertainment, PlanetSide 2 is the sequel to the hugely popular MMOFPS (Massively Multiplayer Online First Person Shooter) PlanetSide that was released for PC all the way back in 2003. Following up on what fans loved about the original game, PlanetSide 2 packs air, land and vehicular combat between three factions (military faction Terran Republic, freedom fighters New Conglomerate, or the alien Empire Vanu Sovereignty) into four different maps. Debuting to high praise when it launched on PC back in 2012, PlanetSide 2 aims to keep delivering on its massive, open-world gameplay with a move onto the PlayStation 4 home console.

One key aspect of PlanetSide 2 that players praise is its free-to-play model. Prior to release SOE CEO John Smedley explained that the game’s cash shop “will not sell a more powerful gun or vehicle” so that PlanetSide 2 won’t become unbalanced between those who have forked over cash and those who haven’t. It’s not pay-to-win. The SOE team applauds League of Legends‘ freemium model (League of Legends only charges players for character skins and currency boosts) and takes inspiration from that.

PlanetSide 2‘s F2P model also means that it’ll feel at home with the existing free-to-play game library on PS4; including Blacklight: Retribution, Warframe and War Thunder. After several delays, fans will finally be able to experience the game on PS4 and the key changes being made for the console version, when the PlanetSide 2 beta goes live on January 20th.

As detailed by PlanetSide 2‘s executive producer Clint Worley in a post on the PlayStation Blog, the game’s closed beta will be used for feedback and improvements:

“We’ll be using this beta period to test our servers, performance, and various other aspects of the game, and we also want you to share constructive feedback on PlanetSide 2. How does the game look and feel? Is navigating through the menus intuitive and utilizing DualShock 4 in the best way? All players in the Closed Beta will have access to our special Beta forums, which will be the primary location for development interaction and feedback. We want the massive battles to make your heart pound and adrenaline pump, so share your thoughts with us.”

Sadly though, PlanetSide fans outside of the United States will have to wait just a little bit longer to play the game on PS4. In the comments of the post, Worley revealed that:

“We are working on our SCEE Beta submission. It will be slightly delayed but it is on its way. Once we have a confirmed date we will let our SCEE players know. I would still recommend signing up for the Beta via our webpage just to be sure.”

As unfortunate as this is, PlanetSide 2 is known for its large scale battles (the developer is even trying to break the record for most FPS players playing online) and so rolling the game out in one territory allows them to avoid problems when the game goes global – especially given the PlayStation Network’s recent problems. Worley spoke of the team’s desire to stress test the game in another comment, whilst simultaneously confirming a PlanetSide 2 open beta.

PlanetSide 2 beta codes are being given out in chronological order though, so even if you are having to wait a little longer for the game to launch in your territory, you’ll still want to head to the official site and sign up ahead of time regardless.