Icelandic gaming company CCP announced yesterday its plans to enable users to play the massively multiplayer online role-playing game EVE Online for free as of November. After its release 13 years ago, the game, which is set in space, became a global hit and currently has over 500,000 subscribers.
Subscribers pay a monthly fee but now, for the first time, users will be able to play the game without paying. However, the characters of those who play for free will not be able to access the same powers or space ships as paying subscribers, Vísir reports.
All users will play in the same universe, New Eden, and so each player influences all others.
“Part of our vision for the future of EVE has included more open access for some time, but with the interconnected nature of the game comes vulnerability. We knew that if the flood gates were opened in the wrong way, we could see anything from server meltdowns to the collapse of the EVE economy. Over time, our hardware has improved, code has been untangled (mostly!) and we’ve found a design we believe in,” the developers state.
The full reasoning behind CCP’s decision can be found on community.eveonline.com.
