Star Wars: The Old Republic Free To Play This Fall

Well that certainly didn’t take long did it?

EA announced today that Star Wars: The Old Republic  will be free-to-play this fall, avoiding the monthly subscription cost of $14.99 since its release last year. The announcement should come as no surprise, as the population dropped well below 1 million players with 500, 000 being the make or break point.

Other games such as Everquest II, Lord Of The Rings Online and DC Universe Online have all used the free-to-play system with generated success; however, like the games mentioned, Star Wars will have limitations as well. For example, while you will have access to all 8 playable classes and can level your character to 50, you can only enter warzones, flashpoints and other special encounters in the game a certain number of times a week.

The separation between free-to-play and people who pay to play should keep existing subscribers happy. Additionally subscribers will also receive monthly allowances of cartel coins, a new currency coming to the game that can be used to purchase customizable gear and additional features. Free-to-play users may also purchase these coins to unlock restricted functionality.

“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 Jeff Hickman, executive producer of SW:TOR. “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.”

What do you guys think of the announcement? Will this make you return to Star Wars: The Old Republic? Or if you’ve never played before, will this make you play the game? Let us know your thoughts below and stay tuned to more Star Wars news as it happens only at Velocity Gamer!