informa
/
1 MIN READ
News

Fresh out of Early Access, H1Z1 goes free-to-play

Fresh out a three year long Early Access period, Daybreak’s battle royale title H1Z1 is going free-to-play, just ahead of the game’s inaugural H1Z1 Pro League Esports event.

Fresh out a three year long Early Access period, Daybreak’s battle royale title H1Z1 is going free-to-play, just ahead of the game’s inaugural H1Z1 Pro League Esports season.

It’s a notable jump, especially since H1Z1 emerged from a lengthy early access period as a $19.99 game roughly a week ago. But, according to Daybreak general manager Anthony Castoro, part of the decision to go free-to-play was born out of the coming Esports push.

Speaking to Polygon, Castoro explained that Daybreak considers the move an investment in a “Joe-to-pro” concept, or that watching the H1Z1 Pro League will inspire players to pick up the now free-to-play game and try their hands at competitive play.

To compensate for the loss of the $19.99 price tag, Daybreak is adding three tiers of DLC packs priced at $19.99, $49.99, and $99.99 that grant players access to additional loot boxes, in-game currency, and cosmetic items. Existing players are set to receive a handful of in-game goodies when the free-to-play swap takes hold today. 

Latest Jobs

Treyarch

Vancouver, BC, Canada
5.8.23
Producer

Bladework games

Remote (United States)
5.18.23
Senior Gameplay Engineer

University of Canterbury

Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand
5.17.23
Academic in Game Arts and Animation

Fred Rogers Productions

Hybrid (424 South 27th Street, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
5.19.23
Producer - Games & Websites
More Jobs   

CONNECT WITH US

Explore the
Advertise with
Follow us

Game Developer Job Board

Game Developer

@gamedevdotcom

Explore the

Game Developer Job Board

Browse open positions across the game industry or recruit new talent for your studio

Browse
Advertise with

Game Developer

Engage game professionals and drive sales using an array of Game Developer media solutions to meet your objectives.

Learn More
Follow us

@gamedevdotcom

Follow us @gamedevdotcom to stay up-to-date with the latest news & insider information about events & more