Hellgate To Re-Launch As Free-To-Play In America

New owner HanbitSoft will bring the MMO formerly known as Hellgate: London back to North America for the first time in over two years under a new free-to-play model, the company said. The company -- which announced its intention to relaunch the game well over a year ago -- said that a closed beta will occur between June 3rd and 5th, with a full launch coming later in the year. HanbitSoft has operated the game under a free-to-play model for some time in its native Korea, but this will be the first time that option will be available in North America. While the original release included a free version, the only payment model available to access all of the game's content was via either a $9.95 a month or $149.99 lifetime subscription. Hellgate's last gasp in North America was on January 31 of 2009, when Namco Bandai pulled the plug on the unsuccessful MMO that caused the redundancies and eventual closure of developer Flagship Studios. A new North America-focused website has been launched for the revival, with information and a new video.