Frontlines: Fuel of War is set in a dystopian 2024 in the midst of a global energy crisis. As supplies of oil and natural gas wane, diplomatic relationships between the East and West were strained, causing new alliances to be formed. The two major alliances in the Frontlines era are the Western Coalition, consisting of the United States and the European Union, and the Red Star Alliance, made up of Russia and the People's Republic of China. As the last oil fields start to go dry, the countries move to secure what resources are left, leading to several small outbreaks that turn quickly into full scale war.