[Updated] TERA going free-to-play this February 5th

Update: Gameforge has confirmed that TERA will be free-to-play on February 5th.

Orginal Article: Gameforge has announced that in February 2013, the MMO TERA will be switching from its subscription based model to free-to-play. The free-to-play model of TERA will have two base account types: the free user and the veteran.

The free user will receive complete access to the entirety of TERA’s game content. This includes the races, classes, instances, equipment items and player versus player content for example, but also unique features such as the political system. Limitations exist for free users merely in the form of functional option restrictions, such as the number of character slots or the number of safe deposits available.

Players that acquired TERA by purchase will be ranked as veterans and will enjoy free and complete access to all game functions – no matter whether they have a subscription at the time of the switch or not. This will mean more comfort over the free users, for example, with 8 character slots, the complete amount of safe deposits or even a special in-game title, that will help them to stand out as a veteran in the world of Arborea.

Both account types will in addition offer the opportunity to become a member of the TERA Club, which is comparable to the current subscription. Players that currently have a subscription running will receive automatic club membership. Additionally to the content of both account types, members receive further advantages with regard to game comfort: shorter cooldown times for instances, increased experience point yields or an epic mount. For the start of the free-to-play version of TERA, players can also look forward to a brand new dungeon as well as a new arena for 3 versus 3 battles.