Another day, another big MMO goes free to play. Am I right? Well, not exactly but it's starting to look like the subscription-based model for an online role-player isn't going to work anymore. That latest game to embrace the Free is WildStar from Carbine Studios and NCSoft. Created by ex-Blizzard veterans, the vibrant sci-fi MMO is set to become Free to Play later this year.

But, you might me one of those shrewd consumer types. A Stephen Farrelly type. Someone who's been swindled in the past and is a little nervous about any new purchase, especially for something labelled 'Free'.

"So, uh is this really free? Because there was this one time that I traded in my car for these magic beans. Turns out they weren't magic at all, they were just regular beans. I mean they were delicious beans, but probably not worth an entire car."

Players can acquire the game, create an account, login and play through everything the game has to offer without spending any money, so yes, we do mean free.

That said, we will also offer completely optional in-game purchases that cover a wide range of player services, convenience options, and cosmetic offerings.

We place no restrictions on any of the game’s content. Every zone, every dungeon, every raid, every battleground... they’re all available. All players will be able to create characters of every race, class, and path while choosing any tradeskills they like. Characters can achieve level 50 and path level 30, just as they can under the current system.

Strange how they avoided the whole magic bean thing. Anyway, check out the trailer below.

Sci-fi MMO WildStar is gearing up for a quite the game update according to developer Carbine Studios, with the patch - titled Mystery of the Genesis Prime - scheduled for launch on November 11th.

The list of bugs fixed by the update is 100 pages long, apparently, but that's not all it brings: there's new content too.

The next two chapters in the game's Nexus storyline are included, and bring a new zone to explore, new bosses, new gear, new instances, new public events and so on.

More stuff, in other words - the kind of stuff developer Carbine ditched seasonal Halloween and Christmas content in order to concentrate on.

There's a Genesis Prime website that has more information, and there's a video below teasing the Nexus storyline.

Polygon is reporting that Carbine Studios, developer of the recent sci-fi MMO WildStar, has suffered a loss of "around 60" employees. This is also in addition to publisher NCSoft reducing its western operations.

Polygon was offered an official statement from NCSoft, who noted that the layoffs were part of "a restructuring of key operations with [NCSoft] West." The publisher reiterates that they are still committed with their core multiplayer titles - WildStar, Aion, Lineage and Guild Wars - but are also looking at expanding into mobile and tablet products.

The statement also revealed that ArenaNet, developer of Guild Wars, was the only studio not affected by the "staff reductions" across NCSoft's western branches.

According to an unnamed source speaking with Polygon, Carbine were the worst to be hit, with over 60 members having been lost from their few hundred team. The layoffs were inclusive of Carbine employees from a range of levels, not just those in entry level or less senior.

WildStar developer Carbine Studios has announced the cancellation of Halloween and Christmas for their sci-fi MMO, though not because of a grinch.

The studio is instead bypassing the holidays to focus on "making sure the live game is working well," according to content designer Kristen “Caydiem” DeMeza who revealed the news on the official forums.

“I’m seeing the ’12-16 months’ worth of content prepared’ thing bandied about, and this is actually the result of a statement being repeated enough where the words change enough to change the meaning,” DeMeza said. “Prepared isn’t the correct term and was never actually said to my knowledge.”

DeMeza continues by pointing out that while the Halloween event was near completion, it still "needed a lot of proper, rigorous testing."

"With limited-time events, it's even more imperative that your content work and work well, because if there's a show-stopping bug that happens, every hour you spend fixing it is an hour players miss of that content for the year. QA time was vital, therefore -- particularly with some new bits of tech we received. But QA had Drop 3 on their plate, and Drop 3 -- full of many bug fixes and content that would be around all year -- was rightly deemed more important for QA to focus on. Would we have liked to get Shade's Eve in? Of course! But with finite resources, we picked giving Drop 3 the most thorough testing it could get, and it was the right call."

Luckily it seems the Christmas event was still very much an idea, meaning little dev time had been spent and thus could be pushed to the side. DeMeza does note that holiday events will re-appear next year, so keep your eyes peeled for more on that.

Wildstar's next major content update — Sabotage — will introduce a plethora of player-versus-player options to the game, including a 15-on-15 battleground arena, developer Carbine Studios announced today.

Slated for a late July release, the multiplayer mode Sabotage includes new airstrike and explosive options as well as mounts in its massive Daggerstone Pass battleground arena, which players can access once they hit level 30. Within Daggerstone Pass, the objective is to capture and hold certain points within it, which will in turn assist teams in damaging the enemy team's base. Bombs will randomly spawn near bases and can be used by players for various functions — just know they will begin ticking down as soon as they are picked up.

According to Carbine, Sabotage's content highlights the studio's commitment to continuously evolve existing gameplay mechanics in Wildstar into something meatier and more challenging.

WildStar developer Carbine Studios has announced a new addition to their already lucrative 2-step account verification system, offering up a free mount for those who secure their account.

The announcement was revealed through the official website, noting that while many players may feel secure without an authenticator attached to their account, the day may come where they suddenly find themselves naked and stranded in the middle of the capital city without their precious items. To help further push the idea of securing your account against hackers and gold farmers, Carbine has added a fourth reward: the Retroblade Mount.

Carbine notes that once 2-step authentication has been setup, you'll be able to log in as normal with your username and password, however you'll also be required to enter in a randomly generated number using the on-screen numpad and mouse. How does it keep your account safe? We'll let Carbine answer that;

If you think of your account like a house, your password is the door. Adding 2-Step Verification to that is like putting a heavy-duty lock on that door. You wouldn't leave your door unlocked, would you?

In addition to the new Retroblade mount, 2-step verification rewards also include the Cybernetic Eyepatch, an in-game title that’ll make you the envy of Nexus. You also get a buff that boosts your XP, Prestige, and Renown. Who can say no to free stuff?

After just under a month since its launch into the MMO world, Carbine Studios will soon be releasing the dreaded Strain update that will open up two new level 50 zones for players to adventure in plus a number of customisation options that are sure to make your friendly neighbours feel a bit ill. To help understand just what is coming in WildStar's first content update is a new DevSpeak, talking all things Strain.

Titled as an "Ultra Drop," the Strain content update will deliver a larger than usual amount of content compared to their "regular drops," including world changing alterations like new zones and new dungeons. Speaking to Polygon, Carbine's executive producer Jeremy Gaffney revealed that while the content drops may not share similar names, each and every one of the monthly updates will include a large amount of gameplay additions.

The first content patch, Strain, will deliver two new level 50 zones; the diseased wasteland known as Blighthaven; and the chilling frozen wasteland known as Northern Wastes. Each zone will offer a range of new baddies to kill for that epic loot, plus brand-new quests that will hopefully clear up just how the Strain virus has come about, and whether there is any hope to stopping the spread of this disgusting plague.

Alongside the two new zones, the Strain update will also add various customisation items in the form of costumes, dyes, an awesome new emote themed for disease, a new hoverboard that Marty McFly may not want to ride and new customisation options for your trusty mount that they probably don't want hanging off the side. All this and more can be found at the official splash page for the update, but also check out the DevSpeak below for a glimpse at the action coming this July.

Last week, developer Carbine Studios introduced us to the infectious-looking Strain Ultradrop, the first major content update since the game's release. Only a month after the game's launch and Carbine is already looking to release a deadly plague unto its citizens of WildStar. Ouch.

Since the announcement of the Strain update, Carbine has been unveiling a little more on what to expect through their mini-website. In addition to a new area and Adventure, they've today revealed the housing and customisation options that plague-battling players can expect to earn.

For those on the housing front, Carbine will be adding several new items to decorate your home in the stylishly disgusting sickly purple and vomit-inducing yellow. These include the many-eyed creature of nightmares that will have you scaring your guests to a deadly poison barbed "thing" that will leave visitors bleeding all over your lovely house. Of course that's just the beginning, with Carbine promising a whole assortment of "pustules, globules, nodules, molds, glands, cysts, boils, spores, tumors, humors, swellings, carbuncles, rot, snot, bloodshot, and fraught…with peril!"

If your current mount is feeling a bit...underwhelming of late, well it seems Carbine also have a solution to that with new Strain-themed customisation options available for your mounts. Alongside these new items the update will also add a brand-new hoverboard themed to the sickly purple of the Strain patch. I'm sure Marty McFly won't be wanting this one. Players will also find a brand-new set of customisation options for their costume, including new sickly dyes and Strain-themed pieces of loot.

Full details on the new zones, adventures, new emotes and indescribable customisation options can be found at the update's mini-website here.

While WildStar may have only just launched earlier this month (a tad earlier for pre-orders), developer Carbine Studios is already preparing for their first massive content update and its a doozy.

Titled "The Strain," the first content patch since launch of WildStar will be making its way to the game's public test realm later this week, with a final date expected during the week of June 30th. Strain will kick off a monthly update schedule, which executive producer Jeremy Gaffney told Polygon is already planned with 16 months of content from the game's launch.

Content-wise, Strain will be adding literally a whole mountain of new, mostly end-game-focused content. Players will be getting two new zones, one of which is Blighthaven, a level 50 zone that will introduce the devastating Strain infection that covers the planet Nexus with ooze and spooky monsters. Not only will we be getting zones, the content update also brings new gear, a rather awesome looking infected hoverboard and a number of player housing options centered around the Strain update.

One of the new features coming in Strain is within the new Blighthaven zone, whereby a new open-world dungeon titled The Nursery will entice players with six subwings intended for on-the-fly group play. Once the players take down each of the elemental-infused wings, the Strain-corrupted Elyona the Mad will spawn. This boss has a number of adds and phases, but was ultimately designed for casual parties.

Check out the new Flick below, and swing by the official website where more information on the new zones and features will appear over the next few weeks.

While Carbine's sci-fi MMO WildStar has gone off without too big of a hitch since its launch yesterday afternoon, a number of Oceanic players have found that it isn't all cupcakes and flowers with some rather high pings being reported.

As with most recent MMO launches, a petition has popped up online addressed directly to Carbine's studio door in a hopes of garnering attention. The topic? Oceanic-based server for WildStar in a hope that we might just be able to play the rather fast-paced action game at comparable levels to those in the European or American realms.

The petition was only created overnight so it isn't exactly hitting big yet, but if it strengthens the possibility of local servers then we are all for it. So if this sounds like your kind of thing, you can find the petition over here and give it your signature.

Yes you heard me cupcake, Carbine Studios' science fiction MMORPG WildStar is now available to the general public as its headstart access ends and the real game begins.

To help celebrate the launch of their butt-kicking, name-taking MMO, developer Carbine has revealed a brand new launch trailer looking into the mysterious past of planet Nexus, and explaining just what to expect. From lush, open environments to customisation out of the wazoo, WildStar is definitely looking to be a big hitter in the MMO genre. Check it out below.

Executive producer Jeremy Gaffney also took to the forums to explain a bit more about the launch, and just what Carbine has strived for in launching WildStar.

Of course, that’s got to just be the start. How many MMOs have you seen that launch kinda well and then fade off because users don’t stick around? If we’re going to play with the big boys, we have to earn the right to be one of the few MMOs that can not just draw gamers in, but can earn those gamers’ loyalty over time. It’ll be hard; it’s a tough market out there and there are giants launching on either side of us.

Want to know more on WildStar? Hit up our game page for all the latest screenshots, info and more, but you can also swing by the official website for that delicious purchase button (you know you want to). Expect more on WildStar in the coming weeks as I take a magnifying glass to all there is on planet Nexus and find out whether Carbine's newest entry to the market is all it's cracked up to be.

WildStar's Early Access launch begins in just under three days time, and to kick things off Carbine Studios has revealed a new trailer showing you just what you'll be able to get up to in the MMO.

Exploding dragons, customisable mounts, customisable armour, housing, raids, dungeons that include the choose-your-own-adventure styles, PvP arenas and battlegrounds are just some of the featured content shown in the jam packed 3 and a half minute trailer. Personalisation is the key to WildStar, and it looks like Carbine are keen to bring that to reality, but you can check it out for yourself below.

WildStar launches June 3rd for PC, though pre-ordering now will get you into the Early Access which starts May 31st. You can find out more about pre-ordering and what it entails by hitting up the official website.

With their Open Beta still trucking along as openly possible, WildStar developer Carbine Studios has released a new DevSpeak video offering an overlook at the raiding aspects of their MMO, asking one simple question: Are you hardcore enough?

WildStar's raids consist of 20-40 players throwing themselves at deathly scenarios that will need wits, timing and teamwork to successfully complete. These include "mega bosses" and "hostile environments" that are ready to destroy you in "the most insane raids Nexus has ever known." Scary stuff indeed.

WildStar will be out June 3rd for Windows, though Open Beta is currently underway now until May 19th so jump in and see what the fuss is all about.

Developer Carbine Studios has kindly reminded us that the open beta for their sci-fi MMO WIldStar is now officially open, allowing any and all players to jump into the world of Nexus.

Players can expect a cap level of 30 for this open beta, alongside two new zones being opened up for said cap level plus an assortment of new abilities to try and enemies to blow up with cool space guns. A rather large list of patch notes for the open beta can be found over here, which includes some new UI changes to video settings, small class fixes and a handful of bug fixes.

Of course it wouldn't be an open beta milestone without some form of trailer material to celebrate said milestone. Find the story trailer below which reminds us that WildStar actually does have a menacing backstory besides cool hoverboards and small rodent Chua.

Open beta will be available for the next 10 days, so get in while its hot!

WildStar developer Carbine Studios has today announced that those eager to get their hands on the sci-fi MMO ahead of its June launch will be able to do just that starting tomorrow with the launch of Open Beta, without the need for a beta code to gain entry.

Players jumping into the open beta will find the level cap has increased to level 30 now, offering even more content to wet your MMO appetite. The level 30 increase will offer two new zones for players to wander around and kill things, plus two new abilities, a new ability slot and extra tier points to test until your heart is content. If you have already participated in any other WildStar beta event, including beta weekends and stress tests, you don’t need a new key. Just patch up, and you’re good to go.

For more on the details head to the official page, which also includes a brief breakdown of the two new zones level 30 players will gain access to. WildStar will be launching June 3rd for PC. For more on WildStar why not check out our recent preview on the "Road to WildStar" which covers all things PvE of Carbine's upcoming MMO.

Its that time of the week again where we give out an enormous amount of beta keys, this time for another WildStar beta weekend.

Thanks to folks at Carbine Studios and Reboot PR we have a staggering amount of keys to throw at your virtual faces, so drop what you are doing and go grab one before they flee from the Internet tubes.

What's WildStar you say? Well why not swing by our hands-on beta impression to find out all the goss, including a look at the rather awesome looking PvE (PvP coming soon!). If that doesn't satisfy your thirst for more, head over to our game page for all the info or check out the latest DevSpeak video on PvP Warplots below. Well, what are you waiting for? CLICK ME!

WildStar developer Carbine Studios has sent over a new video in their "Flick" series, this time showing off what you can expect on the Player versus Player front in the sci-fi MMO.

Titled Warplots, these rather unique battlegrounds are part of WildStar’s Elder Game (level 50) PvP and combines strategy and team coordination with competition and a "crapload of fun into a fortress on fortress PvP showdown!" Players will be tasked with killing each other by building their fortress into a death machine, including the use of plasma cannons, mines, incinerators, rocket launchers, bunkers, teleporters, defense grids, attack ships, robot factories, nuclear power plants, orbital strike capabilities and more. Dungeon items are also on the available list, making it even more dynamic than your typical PvP encounter.

There are two win scenarios in Warplots and you’ll earn currency in every match, which can be used to purchase plugs and other upgrades, plus sweet PvP Warplots loot. Further details have been promised in the next DevSpeak, but for now you can check out the flick below.

It ain't just Warplots that we have for you today, with the folks at Carbine and Reboot PR offering us a handful of beta weekend keys to throw at your faces. We've got over 30 of these suckers, and they'll be gone in no time so jump in before its too late. We've gated this one off to those who've had at least 100 posts on the forums, just to ensure our more loving fans are able to smash some face in WildStar. Check out all the details over here.

Carbine Studios' much anticipated sci-fi MMO is nearly upon us, and to help you, the potential player, understand what WildStar is all about we decided to spill our virtual guts on just what makes this game tick.

In the past month of closed beta test weekends, both Warren "Khel" Carroll and myself have had the chance to check out a number of features present on the planet Nexus, including the very curious action-orientated combat. Sadly we won't be touching on that subject just yet, but to begin with we have a large catalog of impressions waiting to be read.

As both MMO enthusiasts, we understand that these types of games just can't be previewed or reviewed in one sitting compared to your typical single-player RPG. We plan on getting into further detail soon enough on dungeons, PvP and specifically the combat, but for now move those eyeballs over to our preview of the world of WildStar.

Carbine Studios' upcoming sci-fi MMO WildStar has now flicked the switch on their pre-order page, allowing anyone wishing to take a vacation to the planet Nexus.

Those who do end up putting their money down ahead of the launch will be treated with a variety of in-game bonuses. These include the fabled rocket house for your housing pleasures, a housing trophy, an in-game title "Chosen of the Progenitors", access to all upcoming beta weekends before launch and a 3-day head start.

Both the standard edition and the digital deluxe edition will gain access to these pre-orders, though the deluxe edition will gain a handful of further bonuses including an Eldan-themed hoverboard.

You can find all the information you need on their website, and the usual third-party stores are also selling boxed copies. With the NDA now lifted you can expect to see our impressions on the game very soon, so stay tuned!

After an extensive and long-winded beta period, Carbine Studios has today finally revealed that their sci-fi action MMO WildStar will be hitting digital shelves come June 3rd. As part of the announcement the team has also lifted that pesky NDA, now allowing any and all discussion so keep your eyes peeled for our impressions soon enough.

Pre-ordering for the MMO won't be open until next week sadly, but for those who do end up putting their money down ahead of the launch will be treated with a variety of in-game bonuses. These include an exclusive rocket house (yes, a rocket house), a housing trophy, an in-game title "Chosen of the Progenitors", access to all upcoming beta weekends before launch and a 3-day head start.

Both the standard edition and the digital deluxe edition will gain access to these pre-orders, though the deluxe edition will gain a handful of further bonuses including an Eldan-themed hoverboard. Check out the trailer below to see it all in action, and find the pre-order page over here.

In related WildStar news, Winter Beta Patch 4 has now gone live, and you can check out the very extensive list of patch notes over here thanks to Hidden Arena.