Originally released in 1999, the game was taken offline by Sony Online Entertainment and the servers shut down in March 2012.

In 1997, the now-defunct development team Virgin Interactive Entertainment (VIE) released the 2D space shooter, SubSpace.

By October 2000 Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) began an acquisition of Infantry.

Cosmic Rift, meant to compete with the still popular SubSpace, was developed as an offshoot of Infantry.

[5] In May 2002, SOE introduced a monthly $6.95 pay-to-play system for SOE's three small action games: Infantry, Cosmic Rift and Tanarus, but both Infantry and Cosmic Rift remained free to play with limitations.