Dev Talks About ‘H1Z1’ Battle Royale Subscription Plans And What Will Now Happen To It

Fans have become pretty divided about “H1Z1” following the announcement that it will be offering a subscription system for the Battle Royale mode. But immediately, fan backlash ensued.

Many of them have already known that the currently free access to Battle Royal will change, and according to GameSpot, the premium more can be accessed via money or in-game obtained tickets. From the fans’ point of view, they are not supposed to be paying for helping test a system, since “H1Z1” is still in Early Access. Apart from having paid for Early Access, which is still in its development stage, fans cry “unfair” at having to be charged when the feature is far from complete.

The outcry appears to have been heard by the developer. Over at the official sub Reddit of “H1Z1,” Daybreak Games CEO John Smedley had reassured that they will not be charging for the mode for now.

“We’ll focus on bugs, awesome new stuff and adding a ton of features to BR and our main game to make you feel like you’re more than happy to pay for it,” said Smedley over at the official Reddit. “Only then will we charge for it.”

Previously, senior game designer Adam Clegg has also detailed the planned subscription model for Battle Royale. The monthly pass is supposedly a solution to the feedback of players asking to pay a flat fee without to avoid paying for event tickets. It costs $6.99 a month, and will give a 30-day access including more Battle Royale server types.

This is not the only change to be expected with Battle Royale. There are even expected changes to rewards, such as giving new skins that are obtainable only to BR-specific crates. A quick reward payout chart was revealed with the following changes:

- 1^st - 1x Unique Red Battle Royale Shirt, 1x Elite Bag, 1x Mystery Bag v2, 1x Airdrop ticket, 1x Event Ticket

- 2^nd - 1x Elite Bag, 1x Mystery Bag v2, 1x Airdrop Ticket

- 3^rd - 1x Elite Bag, 1x Mystery Bag v2

- 4^th to 10^th - 1x Mystery Bag v2

Clegg has also mentioned that the team is working on themed seasons, the likes of Military, Business, Punk and Apocalypse for the Battle Royale. The seasons are planned to run from three to four months, with rewards rolled out unique to the current theme.

Considering that this mode is what fans see as the most interesting part of “H1Z1,” this would be one way of securing patrons to the mode. However, there is still the backlash from fans. As IGN reports, it’s not only about the pay-to-win scenario of Airdrops, but also the issue of non-playability of the feature. It may be a wait-and-see scenario as to how the Battle Royale will be shaped in the future.

"H1Z1" Battle Royale (Credit: YouTube/Draegast)

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