Update June 6, 2017: in September when we wrote the story below about Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford saying Battleborn wasn't going free-to-play? Well, guess what?
There's now a free-to-play version of Battleborn, but Gearbox are labelling it a "free trial." It gives players unrestricted access to all competitive multiplayer modes and maps, without any time limits or level caps. You'll also get access to a rotating roster of six heroes.
For things you don't have to pay money for right now, here's the best free games on PC.
The reason they're pitching it as a free trial is because they're hoping those who enjoy it the full game and unlock all the heroes that way. If you don't want to do that, however, you can head to an in-game marketplace and spend currency unlocking heroes individually. You know, like in a free-to-play game.
That marketplace also houses skins, cosmetics, taunts, boosts, and more.
Anyone who bought the game before today is being granted a Founder's Bonus, which contains the following:
- 1,000 Platinum
- 50,000 Credits
- Exclusive "Founder" player title
- Gold skins for Mellka and Deande
- 5 Core Loot Packs
- 1 of each Command Faction Pack (5 total)
- 1 Exclusive "Founder Loot Pack" that includes…
- 1 guaranteed piece of legendary gear
- 1 guaranteed piece of legendary boss gear
- 2 guaranteed pieces of common (or better) gear
- Guaranteed exclusive legendary "Shard of Solus" gear item (a 0 activation cost LLC Shard Generator)
- 4 guaranteed Flair items including exclusive "Founder's Crown" Flair item
There's a full FAQ for the Battleborn free trial for the nitty gritty.
If you want to learn why it's a free trial and not F2P. check out Randy Pitchford's recent tweetstorm.
The business model for this game is retail with DLC, not F2P. I have no issue with F2P, but do care about setting correct expectations.
— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) June 6, 2017
Original Story September 30, 2016: Rumours abound that hero-shooter Battleborn is going free to play, particularly fueled by aKotaku articleyesterday citing a source saying exactly that. Hours later, Randy Pitchford came out on Twitter to say that the article was "reckless" and "false" with "no plans to convert Battleborn [to] free to play." However, he also explained that unannounced plans for a free trial were in the works, but weren't "firm" and the free trial was "months away at best."
Here's Pitchford's tweets on the matter:
I was just told about a reckless story about Battleborn going F2P that is false. There are no plans to convert Battleborn free to play.
— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) 29 September 2016
We have some unannounced plans to do a trial version of the game that would be free and from which retail can be purchased along with DLC.
— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) 29 September 2016
Free trial plans are not firm yet – months away. Expect great continued and awesome line up of DLC.
— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) 29 September 2016
I do not expect we'll have our details sorted or be ready to talk about it until we're well past the DLC – months away at best.
— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) 29 September 2016
Kotaku author Jason Schreier responded by saying this was the free to play element they had talked about in his own pair of follow-up tweets.
The only thing that doesn't really match up is the timeline, with Kotaku's source saying that it was happening in November and had already been delayed multiple times, while Pitchford says the plans are preliminary and won't be ready for reveal for several months. There's also a pretty significant difference between free to play as we think of it – the League of Legends or Dota 2 models of no full game to purchase – and what Pitchford is talking about that goes more along with something like Smite, being able to get the full game for a one-time fee. He confirmed to Schreier that it was not a "timed demo."
Of course, all plans may now change with the news out there. Gearbox and 2K get a free at community reactions to it, and can alter accordingly. A change to Battleborn's business model seems like it would eventually have been inevitable, now we wait to see what form it takes.