Star Wars: The Old Republic will go free-to-play later this year, EA and BioWare have announced.
The change is to add “flexibility and choice”, according to BioWare Austin GM, Matthew Bromberg.
Under the free-to-play model, the MMORPG will allow access to the game’s story content for free up to level 50.
Select features and content will be restricted to free-to-players, with the game’s entirety only available to those who pay the $14.99 monthly subscription. Premium players will be given additional missions, group features, login priority and character creation options, among other extras.
On August 7, the game will sell at a reduced price of $14.99, which will provide a month’s worth of unlimited access prior to the change.
Those who invest in the game now will receive Cartel Coins, which can be used to unlock in-game items in the Cartel Market.
It was also announced that the game’s subscriber base has dropped below 1 million players.
“Since launch, we’ve been listening to feedback from our fans and adding new content and refining The Old Republic at a breakneck pace,” said the game’s Executive Producer, Jeff Hickman, in a press release.
“We believe we are in a position to help improve the service even more, not only by continuing to add new content, but also by expanding the game to many more Star Wars fans, increasing the populations on worlds and the vibrancy of the community.”
A full list of restrictions, along with an FAQ about the impending change, can be found on the game’s official website.
