Gearbox president Randy Pitchford has denied the rumor on Twitter, calling it “false.” However, Pitchford adds that Gearbox has plans to release a free version of Battleborn that can be upgraded. It’s unclear exactly how this differs from a free-to-play model, or what restrictions this trial will bear.
There haven’t been many bigger flops in 2016 than Battleborn. It came out in May to decent reviews but was almost immediately gooned by Overwatch, leading to deep discounts on the purchase price within just a few weeks of launch and a super-cheap Humble Bundle appearance in July.
“Kotaku later updated its article to detail exactly what will be in this free trial – namely, multiplayer modes and a rotating selection of heroes. You’ll then be able to expand your game by paying for more characters, story missions and other forthcoming DLC.
Semantics aside, Battleborn’s move to a different business model is far from a surprise. The game has sold terribly, had its price cut multiple times and is now regularly featured in sales.
Battleborn’s failure – despite actually being a good game – comes in large part to its perceived similarity and close release next to Blizzard’s Overwatch, despite various gameplay differences.”
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The crucial keywords here are AAA Open World Shooter. Blizzard has explicitly confirmed that they…
A detailed gameplay video.
Shows a mission in the game.
Several updates and new announcements.