PowerPlay Combat Zones (PCZ)

What PCZ are, when they spawn, and how to find them.

What are PCZs?

PowerPlay Combat Zones are instanced combat areas that appear in contested acquisition systems — systems where two or more Powers are competing for control. They work similarly to regular conflict zones but are tied to the PowerPlay cycle instead of BGS faction wars.

Merits are earned on kill, not on bond cash-in. You get merits immediately when you destroy an enemy ship in a PCZ. You only get merits if your Power is involved in the contest.

When Do They Spawn?

PCZs appear when a system becomes contested. This happens when:

At least two Powers are active in an acquisition system
Both reach the conflict threshold of ~35,000 control points

Once a Power reaches the acquisition threshold of 120,000 CP, the system will transfer to the Power with the highest score at the end of that weekly cycle. PCZs and other activities continue for the remainder of the week so other Powers can still compete.

Known issue: Even in confirmed contested systems, PCZs sometimes don't spawn or appear empty. This is a recurring bug. If you drop into one and it's empty, try re-logging or checking a different instance.

How to Find PCZs

Galaxy Map Method

Open the Galaxy Map
Go to the PowerPlay view
Set the filter to show Contested systems only
Look for the double-circle with crossed-swords icon
Check if your Power shows up on the progress bars for that system

PowerPlay Panel Method

Open the PowerPlay panel (left menu bar)
Select your Power
Filter for Acquisition systems
Look for systems marked as Contested

Using Inara

The Galaxy Map can be hard to read at a glance. Inara provides contested systems in list format, making it easier to find active PCZ locations near your area of operations.

How to Fight in a PCZ

Travel to the contested system
Drop into the PowerPlay Combat Zone signal source in supercruise
Choose your Power's side when prompted
Engage enemy Power ships

Merits are awarded immediately on kill
You must be pledged to a Power involved in the contest
PCZs come in Low, Medium, and High intensity (like regular CZs)
Team play is more effective — coordinate with your squadron

Check your Discord. Your Power's Discord will usually have pinned information about active contested systems and where to find PCZs this cycle. For Winters: Federal United Command.

PCZ information compiled from community sources and Frontier Forums. Mechanics may change with game updates.