Global Agenda going free-to-play

Global Agenda – which previously went subscription-free months ago – has announced that it will be going free-to-play this month.

The “Free Agent” update will let players enjoy the game for free -without a subscription or purchase of the game itself – with all character classes with no level restrictions. All items can be earned without spending real money, and all of the game’s current playable content will also be available for free.

Players can go “Elite” for a one time purchase of $20 (previous purchasers of the game will be automatically made Elite, and will not have to pay again.) Elite Agents get double the experience, credits, token, and loot, access to auction-house and in-game mail, no ads on in-game voice, the ability to create agencies, and less chat restrictions.

The update will also add a new raid, a new CTF-style Mercenary PvP game mode, revisions to skill trees, and more content.

Global Agenda is published by Hi-Rez Studios.

Global Agenda Gameplay Screenshot

Source:

Global Agenda to Adopt Free-to-Play Model

Mid-April “Free Agent” Update Delivers New Content and Unlimited Play For Free

ATLANTA – April 7, 2011 – Hi-Rez Studios today announced that “Global Agenda: Free Agent“, the latest update to the Shooter MMO, will enable free-to-play access to all of the game’s current playable content and levels with no purchase required.

The version 1.4 Free Agent update, expected to go live in mid April, will support free play across all character classes through level 50.  This update also introduces a new Dome Defense Raid as high-level player content, a CTF- style Mercenary PvP game-mode with pilotable robots, revised skill-trees across all four character classes, and other changes and content.

For an optional one-time purchase of $19.99 USD/13.99 GBP/15.99€, players may upgrade to Elite Agent status, which will accelerate the rate of earning character levels, gear, and currency and also grant access to premium features such as the login priority, auction house and in-game mail. All players that have previously purchased Global Agenda will be automatically upgraded to Elite Agent 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.”

Effective immediately, until the Free Agent expansion launches:
·  Global Agenda is available for $19.99
·  Upon release of the Free Agent expansion, any player who has purchased Global Agenda will automatically be upgraded to Elite Agent status

Below is a summary of the differences between Free and Elite versions of the game:

Free-to-Play

• No Level Restriction
• Ability to earn all of the game’s current items without spending real money.
• Access to all of the game’s current playable content, including:
  • Sonoran Desert Open Zone
  • Special Ops PvE (1- to 4-person Co-Op)
  • 10v10 Mercenary PvP
  • 4v4 Arena PvP
  • Double Agent PvPE
  • 10-person Defense Raids (including the new Dome Defense Mission coming in version 1.4).
  • Agency vs Agency Gameplay (AvA)

Elite Agent – One-time purchase of $19.99/13.99 GBP/15.99€

• Earn End-of-Mission XP at twice the rate of a Free-to-Play user
• Earn End-of-Mission Credits and Tokens at twice the rate of a Free-Play user
• Earn End-of-Mission Elite Loot upon winning an instanced PvE or PvP match
• Choose which PvP gametypes you would like to play when queuing for Mercenary PvP.
• Access the Auction House
• Access In-Game Mail
• Less restrictive chat capabilities
• No ads for in-game voice
• Ability to create Agencies
• Higher Login priority

Both Free-to-Play and Elite Agent players can optionally purchase Boosters within the Global Agenda webstore.  For a timed period, Boosters will

• Double XP, Tokens and Credits earned in Game
• Provide 2,000 tokens a day for free
• Provide an extra end-of-mission Boost Loot drop

10-day, 30-day, and 90-day boosters are available.  These are available today and will work no differently when the Free Agent release is launched.