Report: Cryptic's Neverwinter Switches To Free-To-Play MMO

Cryptic Studios' upcoming Dungeons & Dragons title Neverwinter has seen huge changes to the core gameplay, and will now be a free-to-play MMO, according to media reports. The game was revealed last year, and was said to be an RPG that incorporated co-op elements. At the time, Cryptic was keen to stress that it was not a massively multiplayer game. However, COO Jack Emmert later told Gamasutra that the game's business model was still up in the air, and while it wouldn't be a fully-fledged MMO, it may well see MMO-like recurring fees. The company has now told news website IGN that, since being acquired by major Chinese MMO maker Perfect World earlier this year, the focus for the game has changed, and it will now be a free-to-play MMO. According to the report, the game will now focus heavily on action and combat. After release, content packs will be made available for free, although players will have to pay for specific consumables, such as special potions and vanity items. The release date has also been pushed back to 2012, having previously been penned in for a 2011 release. Gamasutra has contacted Cryptic Studios for confirmation.