BioWare has announced that Star Wars: The Old Republic will be going free-to-play next week according to a recent update on the MMO's official website, stating that the option will become available alongside the release of Game Update 1.5.

Today we are excited to announce that the global launch date of the Star Wars: The Old Republic Free-to-Play option will be November 15, 2012. This release will be simultaneous across all of the territories and countries The Old Republic is available.

If you’re a paying Subscriber at the launch of the Free-to-Play option on November 15th, you will be granted all of the Complimentary Cartel Coins currently listed on your Cartel Coin Ledger page, plus a one-time grant of 250 Complimentary Cartel Coins!

Players looking at joining the ranks of the Star Wars MMO can check out a full run down of what to expect in the free-to-play system, including mentions of restrictions to those playing for free over here. The most significant restriction seems to be that a slower exp gain will be made to those on the new system, however everyone will be able to access all level 1-50 content including each storyline.

A new devolper diary has also been released, detailing what players can expect from the MMO's 'Cartel Store', a marketplace that players can purchase various items from with the new in-game currency being added in Game Update 1.5. CHeck out the video below for more details.