Could LawBreakers succeed as a F2P game? The boss does not rule out this move, but does not want to turn the game into Candy Crush.
The low-gravity shooter “LawBreakers” is currently struggling. The beta of the game attracted many gamers, but when the game transitioned to the full version for €30, many jumped ship. Recently, the concurrent players of the shooter on PC could be counted on two hands.
In an interview, boss Cliff Bleszinski explains that the idea of a free-to-play model is not off the table yet.
No Candy Crush tactics
Cliff Bleszinski from Boss Key Productions is trying to envision a positive future for LawBreakers, even though current numbers might slightly tarnish that vision. A few days ago, the concurrent PC players in LawBreakers dropped to “10”.
In the future, a team deathmatch mode and a ranked mode are supposed to bring more variety to the game. But what if these changes do not bring the desired increase in players? In an interview with GameSpot, Bleszinski talks about a possible free-to-play future. As many players have already suspected, this topic is not off the table.
Before the release, there were big news that LawBreakers would transition from a F2P title to a premium product. Could it now become a free product again?
Bleszinski explains that he does not want to use “Candy Crush” tactics because he wouldn’t be able to sleep at night. (The app Candy Crush funds itself, among other things, through in-app offers where players can buy new lives to continue playing.)
Bleszinski wonders, “Should LawBreakers have launched as free-to-play? Maybe. Would we possibly experiment with that in the future? I can’t rule it out. But I really don’t want to go into the sleazy free-to-play. Even though I want to keep the game afloat.”
Nevertheless, he does not want to rule out the F2P model. He points out that they are considering releasing LawBreakers in Asia. There, a F2P release would be almost a must. Subsequently, it might also make sense to apply this model in the USA, he says. “But I don’t want to see any weapon renting in the game for the time being.”
Mein-MMO says: Bleszinski is clearly skeptical of the funding tactics of many free-to-play games. Somehow, the team needs to slowly find a way to bring more players on board while still making money.
Do you think a free-to-play version would benefit the shooter? LawBreakers in the playtest, is the shooter for you?
