Gearbox has been struggling with Battleborn since its release. Although to its credit, it has yet to abandon the title. Unfortunately, such a similar game to Overwatch coming out around the same time ended up being a big problem. Rumors have been brewing for at least a year about the game going free-to-play, in an effort to revitalize interest. Now, a new patch suggests that may very well be happening.
The patch seems to have added a ton of new content, especially in the cosmetics department. Players can now get things like hats, ears and other trinkets to bolt on to their characters. Not only that, but players have discovered a new title, called Founder.
Founder, coming in at the same time as cosmetic items, has free-to-play written all over it. Players who pay outright in freemium games are often referred to as “founders” in some capacity. We all know in games like this, cosmetic items are used to entice small purchases as game-altering stuff is frowned upon in competitive shooters and the like.
UPDATE : Shortly after this rumor made the rounds, Gearbox confirmed that Battleborn is in fact taking the freemium route. Branding it as a “free trial,” players can download the game and access all of the multiplayer features for free. The co-op story mode is not available and the character roster will be limited from 30 to a rotating six. Upgrading to the full game will unlock all of the above. Players who purchased Battleborn previous will recieve various “Founder” rewards, including a title, in-game currency, and loot packs.
Source: Critical Hit