Speaking to SOE Creative Director Matt Higby, we have learned that Planetside 2 will be PC-only, and that it will be a straight remake of the original game with modern technology. There will be no instancing, and Higby says: “we’re only limited by how many can physically fit into a small area.” The territory capture is now far more detailed, featuring more than just towers and bases: “All of our maps are completely hand-crafted so that every square inch supports gameplay. The size of our environments is completely unrivalled.” Combat is now powered by a generative mission system, filling in some of the biggest holes in the original game.

Skills too have radically changed: ““It uses an offline time-based learning method – if you’re familiar with Eve Online, how they unlock skills, it’s similar to that.” No word on pricing or release date yet, but I am so excited I might burst. Go read the full preview.