H1Z1 Goes Free-To-Play as Daybreak Focuses on Esports

Goid

Last week, H1Z1 celebrated its launch out of Steam Early Access with the reveal of the new Auto Royale mode. Today, Daybreak Game Company announced that H1Z1 is moving away from the standard $19.99 price towards a free-to-play business model.

"We are very excited to announce that H1Z1 will be free to play starting today. Not only does this decision allow us to share our version of Battle Royale and Auto Royale with even more players, but it signifies the next step in making H1Z1 a must-watch esport," said H1Z1 General Manager Anthony Castoro.

Players who already picked up the game during Steam Early Access or its brief sales period on live will be getting the H1Z1 Appreciation Pack, which contains the Gasrunner Hoodie, BLoom Survivor t-shirt, Splinter Camo ARV, 10 Victory Crates, and 10,000 Skulls. There will also be Bronze, Silver, and Limited Edition Gold Battle Royale packs going on sale with the free-to-play switchover.

The change comes ahead of Daybreak Game Company committing to H1Z1 esports with the H1Z1 Pro League. The Pro League begins this year on April 21, with its inaugural season happening in Las Vegas, Nevada at Caesars Entertainment. Twin Galaxies LLC will be Daybreak's partner and league operator for the season. In order to ensure a fully-functioning professional league, the H1Z1 Pro League will include a guaranteed player minimum salary, team owner and player representation on the governance committee, and a revenue sharing model.

Fifteen professional teams are joining this first season of H1Z1 Pro League, including members from Counter Logic Gaming, Team Solo Mid, and Cloud 9. The teams will compete over the course of two 10-week splits at Caesars Entertainment, all of which will be streamed exclusively on Facebook Live. The League will also be offering free in-game rewards for Facebook viewers.

"The H1Z1 Pro League will bring together the best players in the world to compete in the adrenaline-filled spectacle that is H1Z1, and we can think of no other city that matches the energy and excitement of battle royale than Las Vegas," said Daybreak Director of Esports Mark Tuttle. "With our announcement today that H1Z1 is now free to play, the stage is set for a robust and active community ready to tune into the H1PL every week."

The full list of teams in this year's H1Z1 Pro League is below:

Alliance
Cloud9
Counter Logic Gaming
Echo Fox
Epsilon Esports
GankStars
Impact Gaming
Luminosity
Noble Esports
Obey Alliance
Rogue Gaming
SetToDestroyX
Team SoloMid
Tempo Storm
Vitality
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