Tribes is a multiplayer online game. The story is set in the 40th century, after humanity have settled across the galaxies via jumpgates. Conflict has broken out between several factions of humans, the two largest of which are Diamond Sword and the Blood Eagle.

The former are a tribe of people isolated from the Great Human Empire, whilst the latter are a force of imperial knights sent to subdue them. There are also splinter tribes and the Children of the Phoenix try to act as peacekeepers between them. The player will have to take on the role of a warrior loyal to one of the four major tribes battling in the front lines of the conflict.

The battles take place on one of 40 maps. Most of the standard maps are outdoors environments in a variety of climates, from sunshine to snow and hail. In general, bases are scattered throughout the map depending on the gametype. The outdoor environments can extend for several kilometers.