There comes a time in every MMO's life when it rides off into the free-to-play sunset. As server populations decline and interest beings to dwindle, developers scramble to squeeze whatever remaining dollars they can out of their once mighty games. Now, less than three months after launch, EA is putting Star Wars: The Old Republic out to the freemium pasture.
Wait, what's that? It's just for the weekend? Shoot. Scrap the obiturary.
Ah, I see it now. Looks like EA is looking to boost their already healthy subscriber numbers with a special promotion that they're calling the Weekend Pass Free Trial. From Thursday, March 15 at 12:01AM Central Time through Monday, March 19 at 2:00AM, interested players will be able to download The Old Republic and try out a portion of game's content absolutely free of charge.
Free-to-players will be able to build a character with any of the game's eight character classes, though they'll be limited to their Origin World and their faction's Capital World, as well as PvP Warzones, and a pair of early faction-specific flashpoints.
The promotion is only open to anyone without an active Star Wars: The Old Republic account, so don't expect to squeeze a few extra days out of your paid subscription. The event is also limited to regions where the game has already been released.
Access to the Weekend Pass Free Trial will be on a first-come, first-served basis, so you'll need to head over to the site right when the event kicks off if you want to ensure access.
For more details and info on how to sign up, check out the official page.