Rift MMORPG going free-to-play in June

Trion Worlds' soul-swapping MMORPG will become free-to-play on June 12. Rift currently mandates monthly subscriptions for full access, but Trion announced today its free-to-play options will expand to encompass all original game content next month.

Free players can move through all vanilla content: its classes, "souls" (mix-and-matchable ability trees), zones, and gear--a big step up from Rift Lite's level 20 cap. They can't access Storm Legion's new zones and souls, and they only have access to two character slots and three bag slots, instead of five and six.

Of course, if you'd still like to subscribe, Trion Worlds has a suite of bonuses in store. "Patrons" receive passive bonuses to currency and mount speed, and a daily boost to experience, among other favors. Free players who want to sample the Patron life can buy a three-to-thirty day pass from the expanded Rift Store, which also stocks new boosts, pets, mounts, and other items for cash.

Rift was one of the last subscription-based theme-park-style MMORPGs to hold out from free-to-play conversion; both Star Wars: The Old Republic and Tera Online changed over in just the last year, following the lead of games like The Lord of the Rings Online and Champions Online.