Hi-Rez Studios just announced that Global Agenda will be going free-to-play with the launch of the Free Agent update, which is expected to go live in mid-April. This sci-fi shooter MMO has been subscription-free since June 2010, so this change really just means that players will no longer have to pay a one-time fee to purchase the game.
Once the Free Agent update goes live, free-to-play players will have access to all of the game's current playable content without a level restriction. Players may also choose to make a one-time payment of $19.99 to upgrade to Elite Agent status, which will give them access to accelerated XP, loot and currency bonuses, as well as the auction house and in-game mail. Any player who has already purchased the game will automatically receive Elite Agent Status.
As far as micro-transactions are concerned, Hi-Rez will continue to offer the same Boosters in the Global Agenda webstore that are already available. These Boosters offer double XP, tokens, credits and end-of-mission loot.
In addition to the free-to-play switch, the Free Agent update also introduces a new high-level Dome Defense raid, a Capture the Flag-style Mercenary PvP game-mode with pilotable robots, revised skill-trees across all four character classes and more. Keep reading after the jump for a summary of the differences between the free and elite versions of Global Agenda.