The Arm of Orion has overrun New Madrid, one of the most remote colonies of the Empire. The United States Imperial Forces have sent an army into the orbit of the planet to free the colony from enemy control. Part of this army is the 8th Armored Infantry, also known as Section 8, which consists of the best soldiers the UISF has to offer. Section 8 , a multiplayer-focused first-person-shooter, drops players onto the planet without parachute or assistance, requiring them to complete mission objectives behind enemy lines. In single-player campaign, Alex Corde and his squadmates are tasked with liberating New Madrid. The game's objective-based gameplay focuses on killing enemies, capturing control points, and completing dynamic combat missions. The multiplayer mode allows up to 40 players to compete in battles, earning victory points that determine the winner. Dynamic combat missions come in six types, including escorting a commando, deploying an outpost, or planting a bomb. Players have access to various weapons, equipment, and passive modules that increase their shield capacity or weapon damage.
Players can change their loadout before dying or on the field at deployable supply depots. These depots can be created automatically by the game or bought by players who have earned enough money. Combat structures, including turrets and vehicles like tanks and armored transports, are also available for purchase using in-game currency.
Section 8's armor allows for high-altitude drops, jetpacks for short periods of flight, and a booster to temporarily increase speed. These functions consume energy, which is replenished when not used. Players can control their drop point on the map but must engage the brakes during descent to avoid a soft or hard landing.
The gameplay mode available is Conquest, with various bot modes available for single-player, including Balanced, Coop, and Swarm modes. In single-player, players can participate in the One Man Army mode against an entire team of hostile bots.
