– 24v24 [48p] minimum at launch.
– 48v48 [96p] has been tested and runs smoothly.
– 64v64 [128p] has been tested and runs smoothly.
– 128v128 [256p] has been tested and runs smoothly.

– 5kmx5km maps.

– Initial spawn is dropping into the map via drop pod.

– Pre-match lobby where you can talk with your team mates, purchase and prepare your equipment for battle, or talk strategy before the fight begins.

– In Dust, vehicles and items do not spawn as if by magic. Every bullet, every weapon, and every vehicle must first be produced and then purchased before it can be airlifted to the battlefield by RDVs.

– Real-time 3D overview map.

– Dropsuits and vehicles will have CPU/powergrid limits.

– 1P and 3P views when using vehicles.

– Friendly fire is enabled.

– You must hack supply points and enemy vehicles to use them.

– Dust marines can call in an orbital bombardment. To do this, they must communicate with EVE pilots through a live link. The Dust marines on the ground must paint the target they wish to attack, whilst the pilots in EVE must control the orbital equipment in order to use launch codes and fire the weapons. The orbital bombardment allows the marines on the ground to clear an area of heavy resistance in order to move forward and take their objective.

– Merc Quarters are a safe personal space where you can either relax and chat with your corp mates, purchase items on the market, or prepare your dropsuit and vehicle fittings.

– The passive skill system of EVE is present, as well as an active skill system where the more you use a skill, the better you become at it. The skill tree is as huge as the one in EVE, and should a player wish to master every skill, it can take up to 7 years to do so.

– Casual gamers can use the equivalent of a quickmatch and join a battle already in progress, whereas more dedicated players can be invited to a match by their corporation, friends, or can even find battles in specific star systems using various game filters.

– The command structure: squad leaders are in charge of infantry, will in turn be led by a commander on board the Mobile Command Centre. [MCC] The Commander will effectively be playing a real time strategy game, and will be dependent on the situational awareness of infantry players.

– Commanders will be able to deploy ground installations, which can house large gun and missile emplacements. Ground installations will also act as spawn points.

– Vehicles and installations will be purchased with "war points" which are a non-persistant game currency. This will allow each fight to have an "escalation of war" and will help prevent players with accumulated wealth from dominating.

– Nano Rays are a deployable area of effect healing platform.

– You are given some initial skills to train and basic "Militia" gear and work up from that. Once you start playing the game you can choose how what you do, deciding if you want to be in MCC, Squad Leader, Sniper, Vehicle Operations etc.

– Matches are not all about you - your role is significant but you have to focus on your team win and therefore get rewarded if you want to progress in active skilling.

– There is a loot system.

– An array of different communication channels, as well as the ability to create custom text and voice chat channels.

– Keyboard+Mouse support.

– Solution for day/night cycles is being figured out but Destiny engine (EVE Physics server simulation engine) is currently focusing on core gameplay and not those details because matches will not really last extremely long.

– High security space will have NPC owned coprorations that will give you contracts and always give you ability to jump in and fight in high security space. These battles are less meaningful on a planet since it is NPC owned. There is Faction Warfare that is a lot more meaningful, and then followed by Nullsec also that is really meaningful in universe itself

– There will be 3 main vehicle classes. Heavy Assault vehicles, Light Assault Vehicles and Aircraft. Each with multiple roles. Expect tanks, Warthog-style buggies, fighter aircraft, dropships, etc.

– MTACS [Mechs] will be coming in 2013.

–Mode similar to BF2142's Titan mode. [Attacking team has to dock their MCC at the defender's facility. This can only be achieved by first taking out the outlaying defense relays before moving the MCC into the main facility. The defending team's main objective was to destroy the invading MCC.]

– Ambush [TDM]

– PvE in DUST will exist - Rogue drones - Survival/Horde mode for example.
There are "Ancient Missions" that are PvE missions against drones that can be later on salvaged for extra loot

– 2013 eSports Gladiator Arenas for 1v1 Deathmatches and CTF. Spectators can place bets on the outcome. Custom matches.

– Districts are hexagons on the planet and they are about 10 - 20 on a planet [essentially 10-20 maps per planet. Keep in mind that there are over 7.000+ planets in the EVE Universe to play on at launch, with more to come.]

– There are various structures - Large, medium, and small structures. Large being entire outposts obviously

– Terrains go over 5x5km so you will have a lot of terrain to fight on, and you will never feel you are enclosed anywhere.

– The engine itself is able to stream data to players so maps can go from 5 to 50 kilometers even so it doesn't break the immersion when you look around you.

– Maps are generated and won't be the same.

– There are various weather environments: grassy, snowy etc. as well as actual weather: night, day, electrical storms, rain, etc.

– Hostile environments [gaseous, lava, subzero] are planned for expansion in 2013.