BioWare has announced that Star Wars: The Old Republic will be getting a free-to-play option this fall. It wasn’t long ago that the company announced a free-trial program, so the announcement may be coming sooner than most expected.
The free version of the game will allow players to play any class to level 50, but they will be restricted to a limited number of Warzone matches per month and won’t be able to access Operations, the game’s end-game content. There will also be a monthly limitation on Flashpoints and space missions, and “extremely limited access” to the number of auctions that can be posted.
Player that subscribe for $14.99/month or that redeem a Game Time Card will have unlimited access to the above content and will also be given a monthly allotment of Cartel Coins. Cartel Coins are a new type of in-game currency that can be used to purchase customizable gear and convenience features. BioWare also noted that the retail version of SWTOR will go on sale this month for $14.99 and will include 1-month of game time.
It’ll be interesting to see how a free-to-play option will impact the number of SWTOR subscribers. Do you think the combination of a free-to-play option with an unlimited access subscription strikes a good balance for different kinds of players?
