Combat Arms
Combat Arms is a 3D, tactical, lobby-based MMO shooter built around fast rounds and a deep armory of guns and gear to tinker with. It also has some historical significance, it was among the earlier free-to-play tactical shooters to gain real traction in Western markets, and it has managed to keep a steady audience long after its debut.
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Publisher: Valofe Playerbase: Medium Type: MMO Shooter Release Date: Jul 11, 2008 (NA) Pros: +Massive weapon selection (250+), with lots to try. +A strong spread of maps and modes for varied matches. +Smart weekly free-weapon rotation for testing gear. Cons: -Cheating can still impact matches. -Most weapons are time-limited unless you pay. -Stability issues can show up on modern PCs. |
Combat Arms Overview
Combat Arms arrived during the earlier wave of free-to-play tactical FPS games that came out of Korea and found an audience in North America. Over the years, the game has been expanded with a steady stream of content, including additional maps, new weapons, and extra modes that keep the lobby rotation from feeling stale. Even with its age showing in places, it remains a surprisingly feature-complete option for players who enjoy round-based, recoil-conscious gunfights.
Combat Arms Key Features:
- Weapon Variety – over 250 weapons are available, and a portion of them support customization.
- Tons of Maps and Modes – 70+ maps and 12+ game modes provide a lot of different match types and pacing.
- Character Customization – a large selection of cosmetic gear lets you personalize your soldier’s look.
- Competitive Ladder – a visible ranking system tracks your progress and stats as you climb from Trainee up to General of the Army.
- One for All, All for One – clans and clan matches support organized play and repeat rivalries.
Combat Arms Screenshots
Combat Arms Featured Video
Combat Arms Review
Combat Arms is a 3D tactical first person shooter developed and published by Nexon. The game was originally developed by Doobic Studios, but Nexon merged with them and gained full control over the game and license. Combat Arms originally launched in Korea in November, 2008 and launched in the US on July 11, 2008. When Combat Arms launched in the US, it was one of the first free-to-play Korean shooters and despite its age, it’s still one of the most successful FPS games. It plays like a classic lobby shooter, jump in for a few rounds, tweak your loadout, then queue again, and that simple loop is still its biggest strength.
Core Gameplay
At its heart, Combat Arms follows the familiar Korean lobby-FPS formula seen in games like CrossFire and Sudden Attack. Rounds are quick, the time-to-kill is low, and precision matters, a clean headshot or a controlled burst can end fights instantly. Recoil management is a constant consideration, and players who treat every gun like a laser and hold the trigger down usually lose to someone bursting carefully and playing angles.
Progression is also straightforward. By playing matches you earn GP, the standard in-game currency, which is primarily used through the Gun Emporium to obtain weapons on a rental basis. On top of that, daily missions function as light objectives that reward useful items, GP, and occasional freebies, giving regular players a reason to log in beyond pure matchmaking.
Where the game still competes well is variety. With 12+ modes and 70+ maps, Combat Arms offers far more playlists than many shooters in its niche. Traditional team modes (grouped under Fireteam) cover staples like Team Deathmatch and objective-driven bomb scenarios in the Counter-Strike style. There is also a more chaotic free-for-all option (Hunted) when you want less structure and more constant action.
The game also helped popularize the now-common “infection” style Zombie mode, where one player becomes a zombie and the rest of the lobby tries to survive while the infection spreads. Plenty of other Korean MMO shooters later adopted similar modes, and Combat Arms remains one of the earlier examples that many players remember.
Inside the Gun Emporium and Loadout Options
The armory is easily the headline feature. With 250+ weapons, Combat Arms offers one of the largest selections in the free-to-play tactical shooter space. The tradeoff is that perfect balance is difficult when the catalog is this large, but the upside is that players can find weapons that match their preferred feel, whether that is stable rifles, high-risk snipers, or close-range shredders.
A portion of the weapon lineup supports customization through parts that improve specific characteristics. Customizable weapons can be enhanced using components such as barrels, triggers, and piston engines. It is possible to obtain parts without paying, but there is an important limitation, rented weapons cannot be customized, so the system is most relevant for owned weapons.
Loadout flexibility can also be expanded. Players can carry multiple primary weapons, but doing so requires additional backpack space, which can be rented for GP. This adds another layer of planning, especially if you want a long-range option and a close-range backup without constantly swapping between matches.
A feature worth highlighting is the free weapon rotation. On a regular schedule, several primary weapons and a secondary are made available to everyone at no cost. It serves as a practical “try before you commit” system, letting players experiment with unfamiliar guns without spending GP. For a game where many items are time-limited, this rotation helps keep the experience from feeling too restrictive.
Cosmetics are plentiful as well, masks, eyewear, vests, hats, and other visual pieces let you build a distinct look. Many of the more eye-catching items lean toward the cash shop, and progression locks also apply, as certain gear requires a rank threshold. There is also a crafting and upgrading path through the Forge for permanent weapons, but that system only matters if you have permanent items to work with.
The Rental Model Can Be Frustrating
The largest ongoing annoyance is the rental-heavy economy. Like several other free-to-play shooters in this era, Combat Arms generally treats weapons as time-limited items when acquired with GP rather than permanent unlocks. Players who spend premium currency (NX) can secure permanent versions, which creates a clear gap in convenience between paying users and strictly free players.
The 1-day GP rental option is particularly awkward in practice, because it forces constant re-purchasing of the same equipment if you want a consistent loadout. On top of that, the fact that rented weapons cannot be customized means a major system is effectively gated behind ownership. The weekly free rotation helps soften this problem by ensuring everyone has access to a changing set of solid weapons, but it does not fully solve the feeling that you are “borrowing” your core kit rather than building it.
Ranking, Channels, and Stat Tracking
Combat Arms uses a familiar experience-based rank ladder. Playing matches grants XP, which advances your rank and, in turn, unlocks access to more of the armory. Since many weapons require minimum ranks, new players spend their early hours limited to starter options plus the free rotation lineup.
The channel structure reinforces this progression. Beginner channels are restricted so newer players are grouped together, while other channels have minimum rank requirements. This helps create a more gradual onboarding, although experienced players still tend to have advantages through familiarity, unlocked gear options, and overall map knowledge.
Stat tracking exists and covers core numbers like kills and deaths, but it is not as deep or as analytical as some competitors. It is enough to support bragging rights and personal improvement without turning the interface into a spreadsheet.
Final Verdict – Great
Combat Arms is undeniably dated in places, and the rental model can wear on you if you want a stable, long-term loadout without spending money. Even so, its strengths are still easy to see, the game offers a huge weapon catalog, a wide selection of modes, and enough maps to keep matchmaking from feeling repetitive. For players who miss classic lobby-based tactical shooters and want a free option with lots of content to sample, Combat Arms remains worth installing and trying.
Combat Arms Links
Combat Arms Official Site
Combat Arms Wikipedia
Combat Arms Steam Page
Combat Arms Wikia [Database / Guides]
Combat Arms System Requirements
Minimum Requirements:
Operating System: XP
CPU: Intel Pentium 3 1 GHz or AMD Equivalent
Video Card: GeForce 2 MX
RAM: 512 MB
Hard Disk Space: 6 GB
Recommended Requirements:
Operating System: XP / Vista / 7
CPU: Intel Pentium 4 2.4 GHz or better
Video Card: GeForce FX 5600 or better
RAM: 1 GB
Hard Disk Space: 6 GB
Those running Combat Arms on newer operating systems like Windows 7 and 8 require significantly better system specifications than the recommended requirements, as Windows 7 and 8 are much more demanding than Windows XP.
Combat Arms Music & Soundtrack
Combat Arms Additional Information
Developer: Doobic Studios
Game Engine: Lightech Jupiter
Closed Beta: May 30, 2008
Open Beta: Dec 16, 2008
Foreign Releases:
South Korea: November, 2007 (Nexon)
Europe: January, 2009 (Nexon)
Brazil: September 15, 2010 (LevelUp! Games)
Russia: August 2012 (GameNet)
Development History / Background:
Combat Arms began development at South Korean studio Doobic Studios and was published by Nexon, using the Lightech Jupiter engine. Prior to release, Nexon acquired Doobic, which gave Nexon control over the title and its licensing. Following the game’s success, Doobic later split away and formed a separate company under the name Doobic Game Studios. The project itself dates back to 2007, with a closed beta period running from May 30, 2008 till June 6, 2008.
Strong performance in Korea and North America helped Combat Arms expand into additional regions through licensing arrangements, including South America and Russia. The game later arrived on Valve’s Steam platform on July 9, 2012, providing another access point for players who prefer keeping their shooters in a single library.