It's no secret that BioWare's MMORPG Star Wars: The Old Republic is going the free-to-play (F2P) route. Well, now, we have an official date on when you can wield that lightsaber without spending a cent.
According to Massively, Star Wars: The Old Republic will initiate what it calls its "free-to-play option" on November 15.
In addition to the start date, BioWare also took to the official SWTOR site to detail some oft things long-time fans and newbies can expect once the game goes F2P.
According to BioWare, the first core rule is that they want to be sure that players can reach level 50 without paying a cent and that the final design meet this requirement. So, for those planning on slaving over the game but has no plans to shell a single cent out, don't fret, as you can play from level 1 to level 50 in SWTOR's F2P ioption.
BioWare has also revealed its "Rewards Program" for those who subscribed to the MMORPG.
We also felt it was very important to thank our subscribers for being members of The Old Republic community. To reward all of you, we will grant Complimentary Cartel Coins to every player who has been a subscriber prior to the launch of the Free-To-Play option. The actual size of the grant will depend on how many months you were a paying subscriber prior to our announcement and after our announcement. There will also be special grants to those who purchased the Star Wars: The Old Republic Collector’s Edition and Digital Deluxe Edition. Want to know how many Complimentary Cartel Coins you have earned? Click here to find out! We are literally granting millions of dollars worth of Complimentary Cartel Coins as part of this program. But you’ll only receive a grant of Complimentary Cartel Coins if you’re an active subscriber when the Free-to-Play option goes live!
Look for more ideas of what Cartel Coins can purchase in coming weeks! Here’s a hint: fans of vehicles and pets will not be disappointed. Also, there will be a wealth of equipment that will be fully moddable, adaptive in weight and have no class restrictions, giving players wildly new directions in which to customize their appearance.
Finally, the studio also talked about "Preferred Status'." This is for those players who once had accounts but has since cancelled. According to BioWare, "Any player who has ever paid a monthly subscription fee will be given Preferred Status automatically when Free-to-Play option is launched," and they add, "Players with Preferred Status do not face the same limitations as a Free-to-Play player and will find that some restrictions are either removed or greatly reduced."
For F2P players, a Preferred Status can be earned by spending a minimum of $4.99 at BioWare's web store.
To read on every detail regarding the game's move into the F2P realm. click here.
Anyone planning on checking The Old Republic out now that it's F2P?