Will Palia be free to play?

There are a few different ways to run an MMO if you want to make money off of it. Gaming is, after all, a business. So many people have been looking at Palia, an upcoming MMO from studio Singularity 6, and wondering if it will be subscription-based or require an up-front purchase to play.

The answer is, surprisingly, neither. According to a blog post on the game’s website, Palia will be free-to-play with the option to purchase in-game cosmetics. The developer explained that this was to remove as many potential barriers as possible to people playing the game. According to the same blog post, no aspect of core gameplay, from leveling to achievements, will be tied to the in-game purchase system.

Palia is set in a world where humans, at the height of their power and with greater mastery of the arcane arts than any other race in the world, disappeared thousands of years ago, only to reappear recently. Players will take the role of one of these humans as they explore the world for the first time. The game appears to take more cues from Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley than more combat-focused games like World of Warcraft or Lost Ark, focusing on building a cozy community rather than fighting monsters.