Review · Gaming & entertainment
PlanetSide 2 review
A free massively multiplayer FPS where hundreds of players fight for territory across four continents.
By the DBotMaker research desk · Updated November 11, 2026
- Capabilities (40%)
- 8.2
- Ease of setup (30%)
- 7.6
- Value (30%)
- 8.4
PlanetSide 2 is the free game for players who care most about scale. Its Steam page calls it a massively multiplayer FPS in which battles involve hundreds of soldiers, not dozens, across four continents with dozens of square kilometers of contestable ground. Players join one of three empires, the Terran Republic, New Conglomerate or Vanu Sovereignty, each with its own weapons and vehicles, and fight on foot, in ground vehicles and in aircraft. The war persists, so holding territory and resources matters beyond a single match, and a class system with a skill tree lets you fit a role in your squad or outfit. It is free to play and rated 81% positive from 47,575 Steam reviews, the best ratio here. The downsides are age and setting: it launched in 2012, uses a sci-fi world rather than real armies, and recent reviews have slipped to 62%. Its 20 GB install is the smallest on this list.
Who it is for
Players who want the largest free battles with infantry, vehicles and aircraft
Price
Free to play on Steam; optional in-game purchases.
Play PlanetSide 2 Free to Play
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 11, 2026.
Key features
- Battles between hundreds of players at once
- Four continent maps with dozens of square kilometers each
- Three empires with their own weapons and vehicles
- Infantry, ground vehicle and air combat
- Class system with a skill tree
Strengths and weaknesses
- Strength: 81% of 47,575 Steam reviews are positive, the highest ratio on this list
- Strength: Persistent war where territory control matters
- Strength: Runs with 6 GB of RAM and 20 GB of storage
- Weakness: Sci-fi setting rather than real-world militaries
- Weakness: Released in 2012, so visuals are older
- Weakness: Recent Steam reviews are Mixed, with 62% of the last 30 days positive
Key facts
- Developer: Rogue Planet Games
- Price: Free to play
- Scale: Hundreds of players per battle
- Steam reviews: 81% of 47,575 positive
- PC storage: 20 GB
Where it ranks
PlanetSide 2 is No. 8 in our Best Free Military Games verdict.
Alternatives we scored
Visit planetside2.com · Questions or corrections: editorial@dbotmaker.io