Age Of Conan Going Free To Play, Getting Movie Tie-In Content

Funcom MMO Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, originally released in May 2008, is set to relaunch digitally as a free-to-play title this summer. The new release will be called Age of Conan: Unrated, and allow both free players and premium subscribers to play together, although subscribers will receive access to extra content. An in-game store will also allow players to purchase special weapons and mounts that are not freely available in the game world. Funcom noted that, since the new release will be unrated, the company will be able to "stay even more true to the original works of Conan author Robert E. Howard", featuring more brutal and sexually orientated scenes than the original release. Craig Morrison, creative director at Funcom, said, "Everyone on the team is excited about opening up our world to an even larger audience." "The online world of Hyboria is constantly expanding as we continue to introduce new gameplay features and new content, and we truly believe that Age of Conan: Unrated will offer something truly new and unique to both new players and to those have already experienced the brutal online world of Conan the Barbarian." It was also revealed that the game will feature new content that will tie in with the upcoming movie Conan the Barbarian. The new adventure pack, titled The Savage Coast of Turan, will set be 20 years after the movie. The pack will add new encounters, a new area called Ardashir, new dungeons and raids, and new armor sets and monsters taken from the movie.