As soon as The Elder Scrolls Online said it’d have a monthly fee, many Xbox One owners started looking for MMO RPG alternatives. Today Cryptic Studios announced their Neverwinter free-to-play MMO is one such option, as it will ship as a console-exclusive for Xbox One in 2015.
The announcement marks the first time Cryptic Studios’ popular Neverwinter free-to-play MMO will appear on a console. Neverwinter is set in the Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms universe. The Xbox One version of Neverwinter will launch alongside a PC version.
According to an announcement from Perfect World Entertainment, which will publish the game, Neverwinter will be “available first, free-to-play with Gold on Xbox One.” The word “first” implies that a PS4 version may be in development and scheduled for release at a later date, making the Xbox One version of Neverwinter a timed exclusive rather than an all-out exclusive.
Adding fuel to that speculation was Perfect World’s comment that gamers “in North America and Europe can expect Neverwinter for consoles in the first half of 2015.” Again, the announcement implies the game will appear on more than one console.
“Consoles are a perfect fit for action-oriented MMORPGs like Neverwinter, and we are thrilled to be one of the first publishers to bring premium free-to-play titles to leading next-gen platforms,” said Perfect World Entertainment CEO Alan Chen.
Entering its fourth module on August 14 with Tyranny of Dragons, the Neverwinter free-to-play MMO continues to provide authentic Dungeons & Dragons narratives and gameplay opportunities. The game first launched in Summer 2013.
Neverwinter is an action MMO set in the Forgotten Realms that features fast-paced combat and epic dungeons. Players explore the vast city of Neverwinter and its surrounding countryside, learning the vivid history of the iconic city and battling its many enemies.
In Neverwinter, players can create their own quests and campaigns with the Foundry, a content-creation tool that allows players to integrate their own adventures into the live MMO game world.
Just curious: does hearing that Neverwinter on Xbox One will be free-to-play make you any more upset that The Elder Scrolls Online will require a monthly fee? Or, does it make you as an Xbox One owner hold out hope that Microsoft will be able to sway some sort of deal with Bethesda Softworks to make The Elder Scrolls Online free-to-play with Gold? Share your thoughts in the comments below.