When Mainframe Industries told Pax Dei players last week that it had undergone a round of significant layoffs but still intended to see the game through, left unspoken was how exactly the studio planned to meet its roadmap with fewer people on the ground do it – and how the game would fund going forward, as money is clearly an issue. It sounds as if one of those ways will be a shift in monetization – several shifts, in fact.
First, there’s the introduction of an optional subscription coming at the full launch of the MMORPG sandbox. It’s not a surprise; the studio has been discussing a likely sub for a long time.
“For those who do want their own personal plot(s), we will introduce the Premium Membership program. It will offer several entirely optional subscription plans. Premium Members will enjoy various in-game benefits – we’re still working on finalizing the offer – the most important being the ability to claim and maintain in-game plots. By picking the Premium Membership plan that best suits their needs, players will choose how many plots they want to claim in-game. If they decide to cancel, the space will be freed up for other players at the end of the subscription period, and the content of the plot will be stored in the player’s Redeeming Queue, allowing players to quickly rebuild in a new location when they decide to come back. Purchasing Pax Dei will include a free month of Premium Membership with 1 plot.”
But the team also stresses that the sub will be optional, meaning it’ll still be possible to play the game without one. “We’ve listened closely to your feedback and decided to adjust our approach to monetization,” the studio says. “We don’t yet have all the details to share, but we can already confirm that, as we exit Early Access, we will offer a way to play Pax Dei without a subscription.”
If you’re already a Pax Dei founder, you don’t need to rebuy the game, obviously; you’ll already keep your stuff, your founder pack plots, and a free month of sub. Note that we don’t have any details on how much the sub will cost and what else you’ll get for it.
“We’ve aimed for a balance that offers flexibility, multiple ways to engage with Pax Dei based on your play style, and sustainability, ensuring the most engaged players can support the project long-term,” the studio concludes.
The Discord memos also discuss some of the content coming in Verse 3 this summer, including new spawning zones, wider access to private storage, and adjustments to the game that ensure players without plots (i.e., without subs) can still function and enjoy gameloops, like clan plot sharing and the gold economy.
