SOE unveiled PlanetSide 2 and released details on the upcoming EverQuest and EverQuest II expansions during the first day of Fan Faire.

SOE Fan Faire kicked off with a bang today thanks to a handful of newsworthy announcements from CEO John Smedley and other members of the Sony Online Entertainment team that were made during the opening community address. PlanetSide 2 was the biggest reveal, followed closely by details on the EverQuest and EverQuest II expansions that are launching this November. Also, SOE is launching new security authenticators to help players protect their accounts.

Keep reading after the jump for all of the details we learned during the community address, and keep an eye on ZAM for more Fan Faire news!

PlanetSide 2

Smedley and Creative Director Matt Higby unveiled PlanetSide 2 toward the end of the community address, but we'll highlight it first since many players have been anticipating this game for some time. Here's the first gameplay trailer that was released today:

SOE is touting PlanetSide 2 as a true MMOFPS that's set in a persistent world. We learned quite a bit about the game during a follow-up press event, and we'll be publishing an in-depth article tomorrow morning. Until then, feel free to check out the new screenshots and FAQ on the new PlanetSide 2 site. (UPDATE: Our detailed PlanetSide 2 article is up! Check it out for all sorts of information on the game.)

EverQuest

Executive Producer David Georgeson announced that the next EverQuest expansion will be called Veil of Alaris, and it's going to raise the level cap to 95. The expansion will feature a brand new continent and 12 new zones, as well as new content such as quests, loot, monsters and raids. It will also include completely new guild halls, and we'll find out who orchestrated the demise of Cazic-Thule and why. Veil of Alaris is scheduled to launch in late November.

EverQuest II

Following the EverQuest announcement, Georgeson revealed that EverQuest II's Age of Discovery expansion will also be launching in late November. It will introduce the Beastlord class, and he emphasized that they're "going to be doing a lot of new gameplay stuff with it." The expansion will also feature tradeskill apprentices that you will get to train up over time, as well as the ability to design your own dungeon. The addition of hired mercenaries will allow you to "knock stuff out at your own leisure" with a couple friends, and a new reforging system will let you shift stats on items and customize particle effects. Lastly, the AA limit will be increased.

Fan Faire attendees will receive free digital copies of both expansions.

SOE Security Authenticators

Smedley apologized for the recent hacker attack that shut down SOE's services for a couple weeks in May and announced that new security authenticator keychains will go live in all games tomorrow, July 8. Everyone at Fan Faire will be getting one for free. Also, free mobile versions will be available for the iPhone and Android devices in the coming weeks.

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