RIFT Is Now Free-To-Play

Trion Worlds' medieval fantasy MMO RIFT made its transition to free-to-play today. The full game can now be downloaded and played for no charge.

"The aim is to keep free and paid players on the same level — this is not pay-to-win," said creative director Bill Fisher. "Players will see key differences between RIFT and other MMOs that have adopted free-to-play: we don’t restrict content, and we don’t offer pay-to-win items."

Players can progress up to max level in RIFT and experience all the games' dungeons, raids and other content. They can purchase Credits with real-world money to use in an in-game store for mounts, XP boosts, faction changes and more. Trion is careful to point out that the best content in the game must still be earned, though. Furthermore, players can earn Credits without paying a dime by trading with other players.

Subscriptions will still be offered. Players who pay the optional monthly fee will enjoy faster riding speeds, bonus XP, discounts and other Patron perks. Tiered Loyalty Rewards will be doled out to players the longer they subscribe.

Today also marks the release of Update 2.3: Empyreal Assault. This patch introduces a new zone called the Dendrome, with three open-world raids. Players will also find strongholds to capture and defend, along with a 1-2 player Chronicle called Queen’s Gambit. The full run-down of Update 2.3's features can be found here.