Fractured Online free-to-play relaunch date: Everything you need to know

Modified Oct 29, 2024 19:28 IST

A massive change is coming to Fractured Online (Image via Dynamight Studios)

The Fractured Online MMO developers have shared that they are adopting a different revenue model. From a one-time buy-to-play game, Dynamight Studios is set to shift to a completely free-to-play module, which will be effective from November 20, 2024. With this, the studio is expecting a new wave of growth in the active player count.

MMORPG is a highly saturated genre. Almost all the big game developers have tried their chance, including the latest bets from Amazon Games and Tencent in the shape of their latest games, New World: Aeternum and Tarisland, respectively, all trying to replicate the success of World of Warcraft and Runescape. However, the success rates are quite low in this genre.

While Fractured Online has had a decent run at its prime, it lost a lot of traffic over time. Now with this massive change, the devs are very hopeful that they will restore some of their dwindling player counts with a new revenue model and features.

Dynamight Studios launching Fractured Online free-to-play

No one will need to buy Fractured Online anymore (Image via Dynamight Studios)

On November 20, 2024, Fractured Online will transition to a free-to-play model, launching Season 1 along with a significant update. The shift to a free-to-play model is part of a broader strategy, as according to the devs, the buy-to-play price of $15 has not been a major revenue driver and has instead created a barrier for player growth in an increasingly competitive market.

By removing this cost, the team aims to attract a wider player base and improve game accessibility. However, to make sure the players who previously purchased the game don’t feel betrayed, they will receive a free month of VIP time as compensation, while Founder pack owners (who already have lifetime VIP access) will receive Dynamight coins equivalent to their purchase value for use in the in-game shop.

The November update will be very vital for the game (Image via Dynamight Studios)

The developers plan to sustain revenue through the in-game shop and an optional subscription service, emphasizing that there will be no pay-to-win elements introduced with this rehaul. Founder packs will also be rebranded as "Supporter packs" and will offer perks, including VIP time and Dynamight coins, bundled at a slightly reduced price.

In addition to these structural changes, several updates and improvements are planned in line with the game’s content roadmap. Guild alliances are set to be introduced before the free-to-play launch, and recent backend upgrades have been implemented to handle crashes swiftly and prevent data loss. The development team will continue to communicate updates and share additional information leading up to the launch.

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Edited by Adarsh J Kumar