Star Wars: The Old Republic is now, officially, free-to-play

After what can rightly be described as a mixed first year, EA and BioWare’s Star Wars: The Old Republic is now a free-to-play title.

Throughout the game’s early life subscriber numbers hit a reasonable 1.7m, although within six months that number had fallen to 1.3m and as of July this year fell below 1m for the first time.

Players are still able to subscribe if they choose, with the monthly $14.99 fee entitling them to unlimited access to the game’s content.

Free-to-play players, meanwhile, have to endure a few restrictions, such as a level 50 cap. A new virtual currency system has also been put in place that allows gamers to purchase in-game goods for real-world money.

Analysts seem in agreement that the game boasted a development budget of somewhere between $150m and $200m, which if accurate make it the most expensive game in history.