Publisher NCSOFT has revealed its planned free-to-play business model for Blade & Soul, the Korean martial arts themed MMORPG that’s coming to Western audiences later this year.
”The free-to-play model will give players unrestricted access to all content within Blade & Soul,” the company explains. ”NCoin, a currency already used for NCSOFT games such as Aion and Lineage 2, will enable players to purchase things like convenience items (food and experience potions), quality of life improvements (such as inventory and character slots) and cosmetic items (such as costumes and pet accessories).”
There will also be a special currency obtainable in-game, that will be used to buy the same sort of stuff without splashing out real cash. Much like every single F2P MMO that has ever existed, really. There’s also going to be a premium membership system specifically for Western players that can’t get enough of monthly fees. This will provide “cool special effects for their Windwalk skill and boosts to XP and currency drop rates,” but provides no competitive advantage.
Coming out this Winter, with a Beta planned for this Fall, Blade & Soul is set in a colourful fantasy world inspired by Asian mythology, in which you play a student at a prodigious martial arts school. You can find out more about the game on the official website.