Swords of Legends Online will be going free play with the arrival of the upcoming February 2.0 update, the first expansion, The Firestone Legacy. Gameforge is making the switch as a result of several decisions, including concerns over player population. All of the cash shop items will stay cosmetic, and anyone who bought the game will receive special items. The game will be expanding to a couple of new territories, as well as continued development,.
According to Gameforge’s Noemi Feller, via press release announcing the change, "Over the past few months, player population growth has become a concern for our community–and we have listened”. The first expansion, The Firestone Legacy, is currently set for release on February 24th, which means the free-to-play switch happens together with the update. For those who have bought the game, depending on which edition you bought, you'll be able to get a special bonus with exclusive items. Gameforge still plans to sell the cosmetic bonuses from the Collector's edition and Deluxe editions, And battle passes will stay the same and continue to have both a free and a premium version.
So what can we expect in the coming expansion? Along with the free-to-play change, The Firestone Legacy will introduce two new classes, the Fox Mage, and the Warrior. The Fox Mage is female, and uses blossoms and thorns to deal damage. The Warrior has two subclasses, the male Crystal Warrior, and the female Spirit Warrior, with their own separate masteries. The expansion will also add new character slots, an increased level cap, chapters 11 and 12 of the story, and several new zones. Naturally, there will also be PVE and PVP options like five new 5-10 player Dungeons, and two 10-20 player raids. There's also a 3v3 PvP map and a 10v10 map on the way.
With the free-to-play announcement, Gameforge is also extending refunds to those who have proof of purchase from between January 17th and now, with the stipulation that if you get a refund you won't be able to play the game until it goes free-to-play.
For more on both the free-to-play switch and upcoming content, you can check out this special FAQ from Gameforge at the Swords of Legends Online site.
