MAG used a new server architecture[8] to support online battles with up to 256 players, with users divided into eight-player squads, with four squads forming a platoon, and four platoons forming a company.[9][10] Each squad is led by a player who has advanced through the game's ranking system.[9] Character statistics and development also increase with frequent gameplay.[11] The players assigned leadership positions are able to simultaneously direct the battle and participate directly in combat.[12]
Version 2.0 introduced a new skill tree and also a supply depot for purchasing weapons. Now, in the skill tree there are individual classes in which players can spend their skill points. These classes include Assault, Marksman, Close Quarters, Special Ops, Medical, Engineering, Athleticism, Vehicles, and Resistances, which then branches off into their own skill tree. Players now in the supply depot have a balance which is money that is earned from every match. So instead of getting the weapons/attachments in the skill tree they can now be purchased separately. After an item is bought players have the choice of selling that item for half of its original price. Patch v1.05 introduced a modified leadership selection algorithm that relies on using leadership points that are earned by winning battles while being at least a squad leader and whether the player has a Bluetooth headset or not.
Basic battles take place within ongoing, faction-based campaigns to encourage the player to actively play.[9][13] The game's E3 unveiling trailer featured large landscapes, tactics such as air strikes and parachuting, and a variety of vehicles, from tanks and armored personnel carriers (APCs) to airplanes.[9][13]
