Battleborn Drops Buy-To-Play, Opts For Subscription Model

In what is aptly called a stunning revelation, the competitive shooter Battleborn has announced it will drop its buy-to-play model and add a monthly subscription instead. I don’t think any of us expected this. When the change is live sometime later this month, new players will only have to pay $14.99 to gain access the game, and pay the same amount each month going forward to keep their account active.

“We had to think long and hard about this decision,” related Randy Pitchford of Gearbox Software. “In the end we decided to give our fans what they want: a subscription based hero-shooter, a business model every player can support.”

Don’t worry if you already own Battleborn. When the changes go into effect all players who purchased a copy of the game will be given cash shop points to buy a brand new catalog of cosmetics.

Battleborn has struggled to maintain traction in the competitive shooter arena, having released alongside Overwatch, and while the free-to-play Paladins was gearing up for Open Beta testing. Changing to a subscription model may invigorate the playerbase. Best of luck to Battleborn and its transition. The change is expected to arrive later this month.