BioWare's SW:TOR Finally Goes F2P Next Week

By Kevin Parrish
published

The launch of the free-to-play model for Star Wars: The Old Republic couldn't have arrived at a better time.

BioWare said on Thursday that the global launch date of the Star Wars: The Old Republic free-to-play option will go live on November 15, 2015.

News of a free-to-play option couldn't have arrived at a better time. Just last week, the internet seemingly came to a standstill as news of Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm poured either gallons of fear or hope into the hearts of every Star Wars fan. Not only did sole owner George Lucas hand over his entire empire, but the Mickey Mouse Club revealed that another film trilogy will kick off in 2015 with the release of Star Wars Episode VII.

Since then, there has been speculation as to what kind of tale this new trilogy will tell. After all, both Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader) and Emperor Palpatine are dead. Even more, current Lucasfilm head honcho Kathleen Kennedy said the new films will be original content, nuking fanboy theories that the films would be based on the "Thrawn" trilogy of books by Timothy Zahn.

As it stands now, one of the more solid rumors is that the storyline will take place 40 years after Episode VI, and feature a bearded old Luke Skywalker running a restocked Jedi Order. The two droids will naturally return as well, and both Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford have voiced their interest in returning to their popular roles.

All that said, the Star Wars franchise has seemingly been thawed out of its Carbonite prison, electrified with new interest and thus may multiply the number of gamers waiting patiently for The Old Republic's free-to-play doors to swing wide open. BioWare's chapter in the Star Wars universe won't feature long-standing favorites like Luke Skywalker, Yoda and Ben Kenobi, as it takes place some 3,500 years before Episode I. But the MMOG should serve as a proper pacifier until Disney and Lucasfilm produce the 2015 installment.

"If you’re a paying Subscriber at the launch of the Free-to-Play option on November 15th, you will be granted all of the Complimentary Cartel Coins currently listed on your Cartel Coin Ledger page, plus a one-time grant of 250 Complimentary Cartel Coins!" BioWare said on Thursday.

"Additionally, we are extending the Rewards Program! All former subscribers who reactivate their subscription by the new date of December 20, 2012 at 11:59pm CST will be granted Complimentary Cartel Coins for their prior paid months up to November 15, 2012," the studio added.

Addition information about all the rewards gamers can potentially receive can be found here. For more information about the PC game itself, head here.

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Kevin Parrish
16 Comments Comment from the forums
  • ironmb
    They are trying to get more subscribers based on Disney acquiring the rights to Star Wars?? Haha... no. I'll go wave my laser pointer around, generates more fun for me than SWTOR ever did..
    Reply
  • ironmb
    Magoo
    Reply
  • bllue
    I'm giving it a try for a bit if only for the story. Tried it in beta and didn't it was too bad (and I didn't get to see much either)
    Reply
  • Kami3k
    I'll be playing SW:TOR again. Enjoyed the stories for the classes I played, some of them enough for me to replay them as either more dark or light or as a different role as well.
    Reply
  • unksol
    BioWare said on Thursday that the global launch date of the Star Wars: The Old Republic free-to-play option will go live on November 15, 2015.

    2015 huh? Quality Toms reporting as always
    Reply
  • Gundam288
    I'm only going to finish my troopers story and then im done with it. I Couldn't justify spending monthly after the 1st few months after launch. It was just SOOOO dead in-game. It felt like a SP game with a intergrated internet chat client. I had high hopes for it too. Any word if they are gunna pull a crypic and sell lifetime subs?
    Reply
  • wildkitten
    unksol2015 huh? Quality Toms reporting as alwaysI always find it amusing when people try to be grammar police, they invariably make mistakes themselves thus opening themselves to the same ridicule they show others.

    It's Tom's, with an apostrophe, not Toms. Maybe not as big a mistake, but still, a mistake. Perhaps next time you should think whether or not you are perfect before making fun of others.
    Reply
  • SWTOR was a fun game. It just lacked too much gamers were accustomed to at launch. How are you going to try to take gamers from games like Rift and WoW and not include a dungeon finder tool?

    There were also a ton of bugs at launch. BHs couldn't finish their class quest at 50, so coudln't access Ilum, so on.

    They also started with way way way too many servers. So not enough people on each one became an issue really early. No one wants to play a single player MMO.

    It was a fun game. I enjoyed my 3 months with it. This freemium model though sounds like a waste of itme if you want to do anything beyond the class quests to 50. If thats all you care about though, I'd say pick it up as an RPG, and move on the moment your done. Its still solid story-telling imo.
    Reply
  • unksol
    9425243 said:
    I always find it amusing when people try to be grammar police, they invariably make mistakes themselves thus opening themselves to the same ridicule they show others.

    It's Tom's, with an apostrophe, not Toms. Maybe not as big a mistake, but still, a mistake. Perhaps next time you should think whether or not you are perfect before making fun of others.


    Lmao. You're kidding right? First, it's a factual error, not grammar. That makes you the grammer police Second, in the age of smartphones and auto correct "grammar" mistakes are common and somewhat forgivable. Third, the level of expectation differs drastically between a "journalist" and a commentator. Fourth the address is "Toms". And finally "Tom's" has a well known history of poor reporting and factual mistakes. This is entirely separate from their grammar and spelling issues.

    If they ever bothered to fix their horrible mistakes when pointed out it might be ok. Despite having no editor. But telling people something will happen in 2015 when it's really 2012 is rediculous, the writer should catch it if they read it. and refusing to fix it is rediculous
    Reply
  • and refusing to fix it is rediculous

    Ridiculous*

    Derp.
    Reply