After two years of plundering the pockets of players, Sony Online Entertainment makes subscription fees walk the plank, making MMO Pirates of the Burning Sea free-to-play.
Pirates of the Burning Sea is a massively-multiplayer online role-playing game in which players sail the seas of the 18th century New World, fighting on the side of the British, Spanish, French, or pirate factions. Up until recently a subscription fee was required to play the game, but that all changed earlier this week, when Sony Online Entertainment opened the hatches to let everyone in.
There are now three levels of membership. Free members can play the game, but are limited in the amount of ships they can own and must pay for premium content. Premium members pay $14.99 a month to gain access to all premium content, a dockyard with room for 100 ships, experience bonuses, and the ability to form Societies in the game without paying real cash at the online store. A third tier, Captain's Club, mixes the benefits of the two for former subscribers as well as players that have paid for at least one month of Premium membership.
It's a little convoluted. All you need to know is that if you've got the pirate itch, some free hard drive space, and don't mind sailing virtual waves for hours on end, the seas are yours to explore.
Play Pirates of the Burning Sea for Free [Official Website]