From today if you want to experience Battleborn’s multiplayer you can do so for free on PS4, PC, and Xbox One, though Gearbox are trying to insist this portion of the game is not free to play. Instead the term free trial is used even though in the multiplayer there is no time limit, level limit, or indeed a limit of base game content. The only thing that you can’t access without paying is the campaign mode, which requires purchasing.
In Gearbox’s own words this is what you have access to:
…a free downloadable experience that grants unlimited access to all competitive multiplayer gameplay modes and maps, without any time limits or level caps.
On top of that a rotating roster of six characters is available and you can level them up completely like you would in the full game. Those who bought Battleborn before this switch will be designated Founders and receive in game loot and credits to use. For some reason though Gearbox’s Randy Pitchford is not pleased with the term free to play.
I guess you do not acknowledge difference between F2P and Free Trial. Difference is real and impactful w/ 1st party dashboards, if not you.
— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) June 6, 2017
At the moment Steam has Battleborn listed as a free to play title, though you can pay £24.99 to unlock the campaign and unlock all the original 25 characters at once. You can buy the characters individually as well through the free model. On PSN and Xbox Live it is listed as a free demo.
So for all intents and purposes Battleborn is a free to play multiplayer game with micro transactions that allow you to get gear and characters. You literally don’t have to spend a penny to play, unless you want to buy characters or the campaign mode.
Source: Press Release
Jim Hargreaves
Considering you can buy sealed copies of Battleborn for a couple of quid, it’s practically F2P whatever way you look at it.
MrJimmy
No demo listed on PSN for me..
The Lone Steven
Yeah, it’s Free to Play. Nothing wrong with that* but to start assuming it is a bad term is quite damaging and well, Battleborn is dead. This is a last chance situation for it. Overwatch killed it on arrival and it seems every time it tried to revive itself, another game punched it back.
*unless it’s a crap one filled with micropaytowintranscations or is so full of microtransactions that it costs more then a console if you want to have a fair chance of winning. Feck those games that use Microtransactions for balance or pay to win.
MrJimmy
Don’t see it under free to play, only one hit at £24.99 and the currency DLC