It seems another new multiplayer focused IP has failed to attract an audience and will be going down the Free-To-Play route soon. Kotaku has reported that Battleborn, the FPS/MOBA hybrid from Gearbox will be shifting to this model soon, following in the path of 2K Games and Turtle Rock Studio’s Evolve.
The source, speaking under condition of anonymity, said that developer Gearbox had wanted to make Battleborn free-to-play from the get-go, but publisher 2K preferred to sell it as a standard $60 retail product. However, the game flopped, in part thanks to a glut of hero shooters like Blizzard’s Overwatch, which launched in the same month as Battleborn. Although the two games are somewhat different—and Fahey tells us Battleborn is pretty good—Overwatch has dominated the market.
Battleborn’s price has been steadily decreasing since it came out in May, and the game is now selling for just $20 at Amazon and some other retailers. The developers have regularly held events and released new content for the game, including free heroes and PVP maps. Gearbox also plans to release story missions and more heroes later this year. The studio will likely offer some sort of reward for current players once Battleborn goes free, although those plans have not yet been finalized, according to the source.