BioWare Mythic VP Eugene Evans stated yesterday in an interview with PCGamer that Warhammer Online is in fact not going the route of Free-to-Play stating,
Right now, we’re focused on [arena-based spin-off] Wrath of Heroes as our free-to-play offering in the Warhammer universe. We believe in the community of players who are playing Age of Reckoning. Yes, we could have attracted a lot of players to it [with free-to-play], but it’s unclear how long you’ll keep them. We wanted to support our game as it currently exists.
Evans also stated that subscriptions have actually risen recently due to all the buzz surrounding Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes.
Well that sucks, I was hoping that Mythic was going to jump on the F2P bandwagon since I wanted to get back into the game. I still have no doubt eventually it will make the switch, but I was hoping for sooner than later before my interest completely fades.
Big mistake on their part. I can’t see WHO making any kind of comeback with the current subscription model. And like you said, I also can’t see myself playing it again until it goes F2P… 6 months was enough!
Sounds like Wrath of Heroes is already acting as a gateway drug.
Next they’ll have it that Wrath of Heroes play unlocks stuff in warhammer if you go play it, thus incentivising the transfer. Perhaps even for people who played for six months – if there’s something to come back for by playing WoH…
Clever design.
I used to be a subscriber and played a lot. It is a fun game and very enjoyable. I had a level 40 black orc. Had one month free when I subscribed and then the following 3months. Played with my cousins level 40 chosen.
I’ve been checking to see if WHO has become F2P and it hasn’t. It is disappointing because I would come back and play the game if it was, no doubt. The game already has an never-ending trial with a level 10 cap. And their subscriptions have dropped A LOT! If they were to make the game F2P the game will gain its popularity back.