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Free Adventure Service



Now Available!

Released from deep within the dark and dangerous depths of Norrath, a new free adventure service emerges, EverQuest® II Extended! SOE has liberated portions of the critically acclaimed PC franchise, EverQuest II, including five plus years of impressive, award-winning content to online adventurers, free. EverQuest II Extended joins the highly successful EverQuest II live subscription service, and together, provide EQII players with a choice of either a subscription-based or free-to-play business model -- two distinct experiences operating in parallel, a first in the MMO industry!

TGN Stratics got a first-hand interview today with Dave Georgeson, the EverQuest II senior producer.

Here is everything you need to know about EQ2 free-to-play directly from the source.
When is EverQuest II going free-to-play?

Tue, Aug 17, 2010

EverQuest II is launching two new free-to-play servers as part of a new service called EverQuest II Extended.

Is this a beta?

This is a full launch with a "beta" sticker.

There will be no character wipes and no major game changes after launch, only minor tweaks.

When the new car smell is gone, beta will go away.

Will there still be a monthly subscription?

Yes.

EverQuest II Extended (EQ2e) is a new service with its own servers, its own forums and its own communities, completely separate from EverQuest II (EQ2) which will remain pay-to-play.

What is the difference between EQ2 and EQ2e?

The new EQ2e servers are exactly the same as the regular EQ2 servers, with three major differences:

1. Can download the full game for free
2. No monthly fee
3. Can buy stat-based items in the marketplace, like weapons

For a complete list of differences, see the official Membership Matrix.

Isn't EQ2e just a fancy free trial?

No.

Free trials are typically 10-15 days with level caps and limited content.

EQ2e is the full EverQuest II world with no level caps, no time restrictions and no missing content.

For example, the new expansion pack coming out this winter will be released on both EQ2 and EQ2e servers at the same time.

So all expansions are free?

Yes, but not the latest one.

Once a new expansion is released, the previous ones become free.

Currently there are 9 expansions, the latest being Sentinel's Fate. All EQ2 and EQ2e players get the first 8 expansions up to The Shadow Odyssey (the 8th expansion) for free download.

When the 10th expansion launches this winter, all players will also get Sentinel's Fate for free download.

Note: If you buy an expansion, you get it for both EQ2 and EQ2e.

Can EQ2 players adventure with EQ2e players?

No.

Just like players on the Blackburrow EQ2 server cannot adventure with players on the Crushbone EQ2 server, players on EQ2e servers cannot adventure with players on EQ2 servers.

Is the marketplace the same in EQ2 and EQ2e?

No.

The EQ2 marketplace only sells items that look pretty but don't improve character stats, with one exception: mounts.

The EQ2e marketplace also sells stat-based items, like helms and shields. It is like a retail store where prices go up and down based on demand (prices do not change in the EQ2 marketplace).

Can I just buy all my gear in EQ2e?

Yes, but not the best gear.

The best items can only be obtained from adventuring in the world, just like EQ2.

Can I transfer from EQ2 to EQ2e?

Yes.

All players can transfer their characters from EQ2 to EQ2e, but not back.

Why can't I transfer from EQ2e to EQ2?

"We didn't want players who pay their way to success to transfer to servers where players earn their way to success" - Dave Georgeson