Aliens versus Predator: Extinction is the first Alien vs. Predator video game released for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Extinction is a real-time strategy game that can be played from the viewpoint of the Aliens, Predators or Marines. The object of the game is to progress each of these groups, building a bigger hive as the aliens, taking over territory as marines and winning hunts as the predators. The game was a departure from the PC versions, which had all been first-person shooters.

The storyline of the game involves humans arriving on a newly colonised world and discover an alien (xenomorph) colony. Initially, they attempt to study the creatures unaware that a hunting party of Predators are also present on the planet attempting to stalk their favoured species, the 'hard meat' (Xenomorphs). At first, only minor skirmishes occur between the humans and the Predators which escalates to a war between the two sides. While this is happening, the colony of Aliens attempts to escape and maintain its dominance over the two factions.

Humans gain credits by repairing atmospheric generators with their engineers. These generators produce a steady run of credits until they finally break down. They also gain credits by killing their enemies. The Comm Tech can call in additional reinforcements into beacon sites on the map, these are deployed from a dropship.

Predators must hunt their prey and take their heads as trophies to gain more points. They are the more expensive faction to maintain and possess a large number of upgrade better vision modes. The predator shrine is their HQ unit which is mobile and contains heat beams for defense. They also allow the summoning of new predator units which are deployed by drop-pods anywhere visible though cannot be dropped into caves for obvious reasons.

The aliens are the more different in managements for they gain infestation points for every enemy unit that is implanted by a face hugger. The face hugger themselves are created by the Alien Queen which constantly produces eggs. As such, the Queen is vital to the survival of the colony and is a powerhouse in combat. The queen has to remain stationary to create an ovipositor which creates the eggs and in this state is vulnerable to attack.

Unlike strategy games, Extinction has no concept of infrastructure as everything is mobile. There is a population cap that only allows a set number of units in the game and the only form of 'fixed' structures can be moved or are defensive. These include human sentry guns, alien hive nodes and predator mobile guns. The units also make heavy use of upgrades and special abilities to further enhance the units in battle.