Hi-Rez Studios has announced that its flagship title, Global Agenda, is going free to play with the mid-April update. Called 'free agent' mode, the new model will give access to all areas and up to level 50. For $19.99, players can upgrade to 'elite status' which allows for faster leveling, gear acquisition, currency and other priority features. In addition to the F2P model, players will have the Dome Defense Raid content to look forward to with the update.

Players who previously purchased Global Agenda will be automatically upgraded to elite status.

“Global Agenda has never required a monthly subscription to play and, for a while now, we have offered a generous free trial for the game.” said Todd Harris, Hi-Rez Studios COO.  “Our experience with the limited free trial has demonstrated to us the great demand among free-to-play gamers for a AAA-quality Shooter MMO like Global Agenda. We believe this latest change will further broaden the game’s popularity and appeal.

“With this change, we allow players to experience all of the game’s current content and levels for free. We’ve done this in a way that ensures that free players do not have to spend real money to compete on a level playing field with those who do, while still rewarding those loyal players and fans that have purchased the game or otherwise supported the game.”

Read more here.

This is because what "The Syndicate" said isn't it?  lol

This is proof of how "well" this game is going. Damn Hi-Rez for getting the "Tribe" franchise. Killed this game.

Sounds great! Even though I already own the game, I would love to kill more noobs >:)

Good thing if they give double Experience for people who own the game already. Leveling was very slow at higher levels. Or it will be the same as now XP gain for old players and decreased for free players?

I guess decreased xp for free players and everything stays as it is for players with then "elite status".

I have this feeling it could be partially due to APB:reloaded being f2p. GA did have a sub model. And when (I believe) APB was releasing the first time with a sub model, GA removed their sub fees before APB released. And now APB is being re-released as f2p, it's logical to see this move as their way of keeping up with their (seemingly) only competition.

The game has been sort-of-free-to-play for a long time now. You could play as much as you like up to level 15 without paying, although at that level you're in the 10-29 level bracket, which can be a little unbalanced at times. After 30, you stop gaining skill points, so levels are used exclusively for weapon unlocks, which act as sidegrades almost exactly as they do in TF2. After level 44, the only thing you have left to unlock are costumes.

As an MMO, the game is somewhat lacking, but as a shooter, the game is awesome. I bought it during a Steam sale a few months ago, and it was well worth it. It's a very fun game. It feels like a nice mix of TF2 and Tribes. I really thing they should have marketed this as a shooter more than an MMO. Other than character and agency persistence (and that silly little Sandstorm area) the only thing "MMO" about the game is the city, which isn't much more than a 3D lobby and menu.

Hm... I think I'll stop buying MMOs. This was an AAA title that I bought through Steam, on sale, in the end of last year. I haven't activated it yet and it's already f2p!

More of the same. Will it ever end?

Most people aren't willing to try something as risky as an MMOFPS because they expect it to die. That's why I think Global Agenda never got the amount of players another game would. It's well-designed and all. I think that since they want more players to play, they let it free to "try". I mean, I'm sure there'll be "pay to win" gear, but it's a good idea to get the game out there.

Originally posted by bisurge

 I mean, I'm sure there'll be "pay to win" gear, but it's a good idea to get the game out there.

There won't be. They've said it in the interviews and the video about the Free agent Update. Everything you can get in the store, you can get in game as well. And then they'll sell XP/Loot Boosters like they do now.

Originally posted by Zolgar

Originally posted by bisurge

 I mean, I'm sure there'll be "pay to win" gear, but it's a good idea to get the game out there.

There won't be. They've said it in the interviews and the video about the Free agent Update. Everything you can get in the store, you can get in game as well. And then they'll sell XP/Loot Boosters like they do now.

 

O RLY? Every developer says so before... anything... And then - kaboom - p2w. That's sad.