Champions Online turns F2P this month

By Robert Purchese Published 12 January, 2011

What's stopping you?

Champions Online - the other superhero MMO that didn't launch yesterday - will turn free-to-play worldwide on 25th January, Cryptic Studios has announced.

From that day onwards, anyone can download the game, create a character and develop them from zero to superhero for nothing, nadda, zilch.

You incur costs when/if you decide to buy Adventure Packs, extra items, new powers or fancy costumes from the a la carte, in-game C Store. You can even subscribe as a Gold member of the game for $14.99 a month - a fee that unlocks most of the game's content and provides some special bonuses.

There are FAQs galore about the F2P relaunch on the Champions Online website.

Champions Online arrived with a disappointing flourish of its let-down cape in September 2009. And Cryptic will openly admit things could have been better. The point is, they now are - Champions Online today is very different. Too much too late? That's what this F2P switch hopes to answer because, as it stands, there's nothing stopping anyone now trying out the game.

If the gamble pays off, Cryptic will probably make Star Trek Online a free-to-play game. There are still discussions to be had there, Cryptic boss Jack Emmert explained to Eurogamer - but that's more or less the plan.

Proper boss, like.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (21) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • DDevil #1 1 year ago

    What's stopping me?

    I can't be arsed re-installing the game.

  • NotSoSlim #2 1 year ago

    DC within a year will follow same model. Future of MMO and benefits people who want to put miles in

  • Quixz #3 1 year ago

    Yay i can finally play it! :D

  • SAMagic #4 1 year ago

    I enjoyed COH, especially the hero creation and the community, but was dismayed by its ancient tech and design (It pre-dates WOW), but this seems like it's worth a go.

  • DeaditeGirl #5 1 year ago

    "Champions Online turns F2P this month
    What's stopping you?"

    Errrm, it was a bit shit.

  • Dizzy #6 1 year ago

    Every MMO is going f2p... only WoW can keep subs.

  • Macdory #7 1 year ago

    When they released the demo where you could get to lvl 15, I couldn't be arsed re-installing it as having bought the game I only got to level 12 before realising how crap the game was ... Given that they have monetised it now, it will likely be an even worse experience ... i'll pass.
    Edited by Macdory at 12/01/11 @ 10:10

  • telboy007 #8 1 year ago

    Eve won't go F2P anytime soon.

  • Spekingur #9 1 year ago

    Actually, CO isn't shit. It just didn't have enough content at release - something that almost all newly released MMOs have a problem with nowadays.
    All MMOs should take a page out of Cryptics book of character creation options. That or use the character creation tools that CCP has in development.

    I had two problems with CO:
    - superspeed travelling power didn't allow you to run on water or up buildings
    - I didn't have time to play it

  • FortysixterUK #10 1 year ago

    They state free to play, but it seems you are still paying to get access to a large part of the content, I think the same can be said of LOTRO.
    So its not really free to play, it's just another finance model. At least you get a chance to try a free to play game out and see if you like it before you invest,( and unlock the rest of it ?)
    Can you get a character to max level in these games on their free to play model ?

  • JohnnyFireBlade #11 1 year ago

    Oh, do I feel like a mug for buying a lifetime sub when the game launched? Even with a lifetime sub I barely play it, so F2P isn't going to make any difference to me other than make me feel like I've been had.

  • WinterSnowblind #12 1 year ago

    @FortysixterUK
    Exactly right, I'm not a big fan of this freemium model, but it is at least nice to get to play a bit more of the game before parting with your money. I'd like to see more MMO's adopt the Guild Wars model though, where you have access to all the content from the get go.. but they regularly release expansion packs.

    With that, you're not having to constantly pay or missing out on anything if you decide not to buy the expansions right away.

  • levitate #13 1 year ago

    I thought the game was decent but even as f2p I can't be bothered re-installing it. I've already broken my own personal taboo by subscribing to EVE Online and WoW so there is currently little room for any other MMO.

  • DFawkes #14 1 year ago

    I'm a CO fan, so I do hope this gives the server population a bit of a boost. Not that I've ever had trouble getting a team together, but more people is always better :)

    I got a Lifetime Sub on release, which I'm glad about - Lifers get a monthly allowance of points to spend, as well as unrestricted power development.

    I wasn't sold on the model of having fixed classes for F2P, but having tried it out it actually works quite well to focus the game. I could see players use a Brawler type, then subscribe so they could add powers from other sets so the can cast fireballs and fire telekinetic blasts.

  • Dizzy #15 1 year ago

    CO is a great game ATM btw... I just need the WoW dungeon finder for grouping like CoH.

  • iokthemonkey #16 1 year ago

    So Fawksie - the archetypes aren't restrictive? When I saw how narrow a choice of power-sets I wasn't impressed (and why do Cryptic have this obsession with gun-toting superheroes?) but if they're not bad I might consider coming back.

    Oh and I read that you could play all the way to maximum level without buying expansion packs, which is good. I just think they're being tight on the character-creation side.

  • DFawkes #17 1 year ago

    I didn't feel they're all that restrictive, but then again I pretty much use a single powerset as is. It just makes it feel more like a standard MMO, with set classes for specific roles. I think this'll be a lot more welcoming to newcomers.

    But for someone like yourself who has tried it and is used to the far more open way, it might feel too restrictive. It'd have made more sense if they'd have let you log in to your existing characters and just use them for free (as a reward for buying the game) but as is those are locked until to subscribe.

    So it's great for beginners as it's less daunting and the starting zones have been streamlined well. You can level up fully for free as well, and you'll never need to have those Adventure Packs, there is enough in the main game (only just) to keep you going.

  • iokthemonkey #18 1 year ago

    So I can't use my old characters?

    That's arse.

    (Puts CO box back in closet.)

  • DFawkes #19 1 year ago

    Well you can, but you need to convert them. How that'll work out they haven't finalised, but I'd assume they'll let you choose a powerset, then take away any powers not in that set and refund you the ability points for them to reinvest.

  • iokthemonkey #20 1 year ago

    Hmm. I think I've got some characters that use non-free powers (Darkness control) so I dunno if I really want to go to the effort of installing and then finding out they're no use. I dunno. If I get bored one day I might give it a try.

  • iokthemonkey #21 1 year ago

    Reinstalled it but I can't patch it until it goes F2P, unless I want to re-subscribe. Which I don't.

    Hopefully I'll still be interested in playing in 2 weeks.