Popular MMO 'Guild Wars 2' Now Free To Play

“Guild Wars 2,” a popular online roleplaying game similar to titles like “World of Warcraft,” will now be a free-to-play game. Anyone curious about the online title can simply register an account on the game’s site and download the title for free.

While this could be considered a controversial move especially since the original game sold more than five million copies, the game’s site has offered an explanation. Apparently, the move was made so that new players will not have to pay extra when purchasing the “Heart of Thorns” expansion, and so they could join their friends in parties and quests right away.

To make things more than fair, the developers have made sure that those playing free would not be getting as much benefits as those who paid for the game. Free players will have more limited slots for extra characters and bags than paid players. They will also be restricted to certain zones until they reach a certain level, so those starting out will not be able to leave the starter zones until they reach level 10.

Communication options will also be more limited for free players. They will not have access to Map Chat and must reach level 30 to unlock Squad Chat. Free players will also have more limited options for PvP chat and will be unable to use emotes during matches.

In addition to all of those restrictions, Kotaku stated that players who bought an original copy of the game will be getting a Royal Guard outfit. These outfits are exclusive to longtime players of the game, as they show how loyal the players have been to “Guild Wars 2.”

The “Heart of Thrones” expansion pack costs $50, which reportedly irritated some gamers since it is the exact same price as the original game of the series. However, it now makes a bit more sense, since free players will have to purchase the expansion to upgrade their free account into a premium one and get the extra benefits that paid players will be getting.

“Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns” will be coming out on Oct. 23. This is the online game’s first ever expansion, and will let players start raids for the first time in “Guild Wars 2” history.