Campaign is the story choice for solo play or co-op; Horde Siege brings together three four-player squads for PvE missions, while Versus is 4v4 team PvP. The table compares all 13 modes and playlists listed in the available materials.
Compare the modes
| Name | Role | Summary | Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campaign | Story mode; solo or co-op | An origin-story campaign following Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago as the Locust first emerge and Kalona fights to survive. Supports solo play, console split-screen, and online co-op. | 1 player solo; 2-player console split-screen; up to 4 players online |
| Horde Siege | Cooperative PvE survival mode | Three four-player COG squads pursue missions across larger Kalona maps, face Locust and bosses, and extract after their main objectives. Players choose a class before each mission. | 12 players total; 3 squads of 4; 3 maps announced for launch |
| Blitz | Short Horde Siege mission playlist | A quick mission playlist with one or two objectives. | Usually 15–20 minutes; 1–2 objectives |
| Siege | Standard Horde Siege mission playlist | Longer missions with multiple possible objectives and more movement across the map. | 20–40 minutes |
| Horde | Wave-defense Horde Siege mission playlist | A tougher stationary defense against ten waves of Locust with limited support. | 10 waves; up to 50–60 minutes |
| Versus | Competitive team PvP mode family | Equal starting loadouts and no weapon mods keep the focus on skill, teamwork, and control of map power weapons. Four core modes are announced for launch. | 4v4 in every Versus mode; 4 core launch modes |
| Team Deathmatch | Versus elimination mode | Teams deplete the opposing side's lives; dynamic respawns shift spawn locations as the battle moves. | 4v4 |
| Conquest | Versus zone-control mode | Teams occupy and defend zones to build scoring time; a zone stays active until a team holds it long enough to score. | 4v4 |
| Demolition | Versus bomb-planting mode | Teams contest a neutral bomb and try to plant it at one of two enemy sites. The planting side defends the armed bomb without respawns until detonation. | 4v4; 2 bombsites; 3 successful detonations to win |
| Crucible | Versus moving-zone and objective-carrying mode | A team carries the Power Core into a scoring zone that moves and shrinks as the round progresses. The Core can release an electrical blast to repel attackers. | 4v4 |
| Boot Camp | Introductory training course | A short course at a COG military facility for learning the game's controls and mechanics. | — |
| Combat Training | Practice mode | An extended training space using a multiplayer map where players can try weapons and spawn short Locust encounters. | Up to 4-player co-op |
| Trick or Treat | Announced post-launch limited-time Versus mode | Named as an example of a limited-time mode planned for the Halloween Event; detailed rules have not been announced in the cited source. | — |
Explore each mode
Campaign
Play the origin-story campaign alone, in console split-screen, or online with up to four players. See single-player details and co-op details.
Horde Siege
Three squads of four take on cooperative PvE missions across Kalona. Read the Horde overview and co-op details.
Blitz
Choose this short Horde Siege playlist for missions with one or two objectives. Explore Horde Siege.
Siege
The standard playlist has longer missions, multiple possible objectives, and more movement across the map. Explore Horde Siege.
Horde
This playlist centers on a stationary defense against ten waves of Locust. Explore Horde Siege.
Versus
The competitive 4v4 family starts players with equal equipment and has no weapon mods. See the PvP overview and multiplayer overview.
Team Deathmatch
Deplete the opposing team's lives as respawn locations shift with the battle. Explore PvP modes.
Conquest
Hold zones to build scoring time and earn points. Explore PvP modes.
Demolition
Fight over a neutral bomb and plant it at an enemy site. Explore PvP modes.
Crucible
Carry a Power Core into a moving, shrinking scoring zone. Explore PvP modes.
Boot Camp
Use this short course to learn controls and mechanics. Explore multiplayer.
Combat Training
Try weapons and short Locust encounters in a multiplayer-map practice space, with up to four-player co-op. Explore multiplayer.
Trick or Treat
This limited-time Versus mode is planned for the Halloween Event after launch; its detailed rules have not been announced. Explore PvP modes.
Horde Siege and Versus structure
Horde Siege has three mission playlists: Blitz, Siege, and Horde. Its missions use R.I.G. equipment and draw from five objective types: Secure, Calibrate, Repair, Defend, and Horde. Selectable difficulties scale with class level: Infantry is recommended for levels 10–20, Commander for 20–30, and Allfather for maximum-level classes. Squads collect shared Energy, may encounter other squads and Invasion Events, and must extract to retain collected Weapon Parts. A squad fails after exhausting its Squad Lives.
Versus matches are 4v4, with equal starting equipment and no weapon mods. Ranked playlists have mode-specific rankings; Social includes Quickplay, Player vs Bot, and rotating limited-time experiences. Boot Camp and Combat Training are practice options rather than core Versus match types.