DC Universe joins free-to-play craze

Sony is to relaunch DC Universe Online as a free-to-play game, the company has said.

The MMO, built by Sony Online Entertainment before the group was rocked by a huge redundancy operation, is to become free in October.

The gratis editions will be available on both PC and PlayStation 3, according to IGN.

Sony Online Entertainment said the decision was “absolutely not” a response to falling subscriber numbers.

"This is the right business model. If I can be honest, the game ended up costing a lot more than we thought it would, and this was our preferred business model from day one,” said SOE executive producer Lorin Jameson.

Three versions of the game are available: free, premium and legendary.