The new ArcheAge Unchained is based on Buy2Play and does not use a subscription model. We met with the publisher gamigo at gamescom to discuss this.
What is ArcheAge Unchained? Yesterday, gamigo announced a new version of ArcheAge that is supposed to completely forgo Pay2Win content.
Instead, the MMORPG will be Buy2Play and everyone should have the same prerequisites and opportunities. In return, there will be a season pass and a store that is supposed to focus purely on cosmetic content.
Who did we talk to? Vice President Mervin Lee Kwai III revealed more about the business model at gamescom and also addressed your questions and concerns.
Initially, the focus was on the new season pass and the store. We also discussed the division of the community and housing.
In the second part of the conversation, we talked about the upcoming update in autumn. This part will be published later this week as a separate article.
Gamigo plans multiple season passes simultaneously
What are the differences between the legacy server and Unchained? Marvin Lee Kwai told us in the conversation that there will be no differences between the two games.
You start at zero in Unchained. Nothing can be transferred from other servers. Even if everyone starts from scratch, we will not hold back any content. Unchained will include all areas and content from the previous ArcheAge.
The only difference between the versions lies in the business model. The new season pass is especially in focus for Unchained.
How is the season pass structured? In ArcheAge Unchained, there will be two season passes. The first is a standard version and free. Additionally, there is a premium pass that contains further rewards. However, this costs real money.
Through both passes, you will receive a new currency that can be exchanged for cosmetic rewards and titles. Additionally, the free pass is also supposed to include reward potions that provide small advantages in the game.
However, these advantages are not supposed to be present in the premium pass.
Currently, the developers plan that multiple passes can run simultaneously. So if you complete Pass 1 after a month, you can immediately start Pass 2. If it takes two months, you will get Pass 2 later.
A pass lasts for three months. During this time, you will have daily missions such as defeating monsters or participating in PvP.
Each completed task gives XP, and the pass contains a total of 55 levels. After that, you have completed it.
How much will the premium pass cost? A premium pass for ArcheAge is supposed to cost 10 dollars.
What can we expect in the shop of ArcheAge Unchained? The shop of the Buy2Play game is also supposed to completely avoid gameplay advantages, as Mervin Lee Kwai repeatedly emphasized.
All content is supposed to be purely cosmetic, so that all players have the same chances.
There is enough space for players’ houses
How does housing work in ArcheAge Unchained? In the Free2Play version of ArcheAge, you need a continuous subscription to claim land at all.
In Unchained, any player can build. In our comments about Unchained, players feared that there might be a lack of space and that players could secure plots and sell them at high prices to later entrants.
What do the developers think about this? Mervin Lee Kwai is not worried about this. On the one hand, there are many more building spaces compared to the release version. Also, the latest Haram update included new plots.
On the other hand, the tax certificates are not offered in the marketplace of Unchained. Maintaining multiple houses will therefore be more difficult, especially due to the required labor points.
Additionally, the hurdle of owning multiple accounts is supposed to be higher due to Buy2Play. Nevertheless, the developers are keeping an eye on the issue:
We are not naive in this regard, but we believe due to the three mentioned points that there will be enough spaces for everyone.
Legacy players remain loyal to their server
Is ArcheAge stealing its own players with two versions? Another concern of players was that the two separate servers would divide the community. After all, both are supposed to be at exactly the same state.
Mervin Lee Kwai sees this relaxed:
We have frequently introduced new servers. Players like to try them out, but most return to their home server after 2-3 months. They often invest too much time in their environment for that.
The developers view Unchained more as an opportunity for newcomers and people who reject the old subscription model. The previous target group is expected to remain with the old ArcheAge
When will Unchained be released? New information on the costs and release date of ArcheAge Unchained will be published soon.
However, the next big update for ArcheAge is planned for autumn. This applies to both the legacy servers and Unchained. What exactly will be included in the patch will be revealed later this week.
The opening night at gamescom was already exciting yesterday:
