The Secret World developer Funcom has announced its decision to drop the traditional subscription only model from its macabre MMO of the occult.
Mirroring the payment model of market giant Guild Wars 2, newcomers to the contemporary world of hidden horrors will still be required to purchase the initial game ($30/€30/£24.99), but all currently released content will be completely free thereafter. There are no restrictive measures in place to squeeze the player for more cash.
Regular patches of updates and content enhancement will continue to be free, but there will also be premium DLC (Downloadable Content) planned in the future, which can be purchased normally or with Bonus Points (see membership benefits below).
The upcoming 5th instalment of new DLC will be free to all customers with registered accounts prior to 31 December, but will fit into the premium model thereafter for $5.
There is an optional membership scheme available for the equivalent cost of the monthly subscription, which entitles the member to the following:
- Time Accelerator (Clickable item which increases experience gain for defeating monsters by 100% for 1 hour, 16 hour cool-down – only usable by Members and Grand Masters)
- $10 worth of Bonus Points (given out every month)
- Item-of-the-month gift (given out every month)
- 10% discount to everything in the in-game store
