Dear players,
We wanted to give you an update on the future of our game. Unfortunately, we were unable to monetize our game using the free-to-play model. In order to successfully monetize a free-to-play title we would need to include ads, lootboxes, excessive DLC, or grinding in order to generate a profit, but this goes against everything we stand for as a studio. After much deliberation, we've decided to transition to a more conventional monetization model. This means that on the day of our full release on April 17, the game will be priced at $15 USD.
However, we're happy to announce that ANY user of the game who downloaded Fire & Maneuver before April 17th will keep the game for free. Because we are putting a $15 entry price on the game, we are also planning on reducing all DLC costs for our current DLC and those made going forward. This will also provide us with the opportunity to add more free content if we can rely on paid copies to bring in revenue. Overall, if you are a player of F&M now, this only benefits you, and future F&M players will benefit from free updates and cheaper DLC costs. Because we're moving away from a multiplayer-oriented F2P model, we're also lowering the cost of unlocking nations from 15,000 merits down to 5,000 and including more ways in singleplayer content to earn merits including:
- Giving players the ability to earn merits through numerous singleplayer scenario battles
- Removing the custom battle limitations to earning merits
The second major change being made is the unlisting of the Wars of Unification DLC on release day since it will be included as part of the base game along with the $15 base price. As a thank you to those who supported us during early access, owners of the soon-to-be-retired DLC will receive ALL current Prussian and French cosmetics.
Therefore, on launch day, the base game will include four campaigns: The Sevastopol Campaign, The Caucasus Theater, The Franco-Prussian War, and the Austro-Prussian War. Additionally, we'll be adding around 20 unique scenario battles, most of which will be accessible for free, with the exception of the Japanese and Civil War scenarios which will be available for DLC owners.
We appreciate your support and hope you can understand our reasoning for making this transition. We hope that you continue to enjoy the game and look forward to bringing you more updates and content in the future. On April 17th, get ready for the biggest update Fire & Maneuver has ever received, available to ALL free owners of the game and all future paid owners.