For the last year, Everquest II had been split into the subscription-based MMO and a free-to-play, browser-based game called Everquest II X. Sony Online Entertainment has announced that since the free-to-play version has been successful, the two populations will be merged into a single, free-to-play MMO.
SOE has gone into detail on how the membership tiers will be revamped:
* Gold membership in EverQuest II will provide access to all races and classes (except the Freeblood race and the Beastlord class) and is identical in all ways to the current subscription status on EQII Live servers.
-
The free membership level will be called “Free” instead of “Bronze.”
-
Silver membership now costs 500 Station Cash instead of 1,000 Station Cash. (If you purchased a Silver membership in EverQuest II: Extended within the 60 days before the launch of this change, 500 Station Cash will be refunded to your Station Wallet.)
-
Players can no longer purchase a Platinum membership. Existing Platinum memberships will continue until they expire.
For more detailed information on the revamped tiers, players can check out the official site here.
In addition, a new expansion, Age of Discovery, has been announced. The biggest feature of the expansion is the Dungeon Maker in which players can create their own instances. According to the press release, ”Locate and collect a variety of floor layouts and styles, decorate your dungeon, select monsters to fill it, and battle through the content you designed to win new rewards!” The expansion will also include a return of the Beastlord class, AI mercs who can be hired to your party, reforging which allows players to adjust the stats on items, and a tradeskill apprentice who can research new recipes for extremely powerful items specific to the player’s tradeskill class.
When the expansion is released a Digital Collector’s Edition can be preordered for $59.99 USD which will include the base game, all seven expansions, a Cloak of the Truespirit, Dungeon Maker Unique Monster Spawner #1, Dungeon Maker Unique Monster Spawner #2, Armored Flying Pegasus Mount, Unique Beastlord Warder Pet, Lavastorm Prestige Home, Custom Dungeon Maker Map Layout, and a Robe of the True Spirit, in addition to a 30 day premium subscription. After preorder, the price rises to $89.99 USD. A standard edition with the base game, all seven expansions, a Cloak of the Truespirit, and a Dungeon Maker Unique Monster Spawner #1 will be available for $39.99 USD. It, too, comes with a 30 day subscription.
More information regarding the expansion can be checked out here. The expansion will be released on the 30th November.
