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About Natural Selection 2
Natural Selection 2 combines first‑person shooting with real‑time strategy in a multiplayer battle between humans and alien lifeforms. Each side is overseen by a Commander who manages resources, builds structures and unlocks abilities for the team.
Human players fight as Frontiersman marines equipped with a range of weapons, while alien players evolve into one of five distinct lifeforms. The game receives ongoing updates and ships with open‑source mod tools for community‑created content.
01 / THE GUIDE
Gameplay Overview
Matches are multiplayer and split between human and alien teams. Players control individual units on the ground while a Commander watches from above, placing structures and issuing abilities that affect the whole side.
Victory is achieved by out‑maneuvering the opponent’s forces and destroying key structures. The blend of shooting and strategic support creates a dynamic battlefield where both roles matter.
- Watch the Commander’s map markers for emerging objectives.
- Balance offensive pushes with defensive structures.
02 / THE GUIDE
Commander Role
Each team has a Commander who looks down on the battlefield, collects resources, places structures and researches technology. Human Commanders can drop health packs, ammunition and sentry guns; alien Commanders can grow Hives to spawn eggs.
Commanders also deploy abilities that boost teammates, such as speed or damage enhancements. Their decisions shape the flow of battle by expanding territory and providing logistical support.
- Prioritize resource nodes to keep supply drops steady.
- Use abilities that match your team’s current composition.
03 / THE GUIDE
Alien Lifeforms
Aliens evolve into one of five lifeforms: Skulk (fast, wall‑running, high jaw damage), Lerk (flying, deploys supportive gases), Gorge (heals, builds tunnels and structures), Fade (blinks, attacks with scythes) and Onos (massive, heavily armored).
Each form fulfills a tactical niche, from scouting and support to frontline assault. Choosing the right lifeform for the current situation lets alien teams adapt to human strategies.
- Use Skulks for rapid flank attacks.
- Deploy Gorges to maintain tunnel networks for egg spawning.
04 / THE GUIDE
Marine Arsenal
Marines have rifles, shotguns, grenade launchers, pistols, cluster grenades and flamethrowers. Commanders can drop boosts that increase combat effectiveness for nearby players.
When foot combat is insufficient, marines can construct Exosuits equipped with miniguns or railguns and attach jetpacks for fast assaults on alien Hives.
- Carry cluster grenades to counter wall‑running Skulks.
- Equip jetpacks for quick repositioning when attacking Hives.
05 / THE GUIDE
Mod Tools & Community
All game code is open source and the same tools used by the developers are included. Players can create, share and download mods through the Steam Workshop, and the game automatically loads them when joining modded matches.
This openness encourages a constantly evolving experience, with community‑made maps, skins and gameplay tweaks extending the game's lifespan beyond the base content.
- Browse the Steam Workshop for fresh maps and balance changes.
- Try a simple mod to become familiar with the provided toolset.
COMMUNITY
Player discussion