Rift Launching New Subscription Based Progression Servers Titled Rift Prime

Trion Worlds announced today that a new subscription based fresh start progression server is coming to Rift this Spring. The new service, titled Rift Prime (Amazon prime much?), offers players an alternative way to experience the fantasy MMORPG. The Prime servers will feature a cosmetic-only cashshop with absolutely no lockboxes. Trion Worlds arrived at the decision to launch a subscription service after dialogue with their playerbase and after dealing with constant blowback against microtransactions. Existing Rift servers will remain as they are, free to play.

Rift isn't the only MMORPG to embrace the conception of progression servers. Games like Ragnarok Online and EverQuest have seen wild success in their own progression servers, with the EverQuest one also requiring a subscription. For those unfamiliar with the concept of a "progression server", they are new servers that start off with the base version of a game and progressively roll out expansion packs. This allows players to experience the game as it was back in the day as well as how it progressed.

While there's definitely been a lot more uproar against microtransactions and pay 2 win elements in games in recent years, time will tell whether Rift sees success in their new prime service. Even some free to play MMORPGs like Allods Online have added premium subscription servers which offer fairer cash shops. No word on the pricing for Rift's premium server just yet, but I suspect it'll be in the $9.99 - $14.99 range with my bet on $9.99.

Ironically, when this subscription based server launches Rift will have gone full circle. The game originally launched as a subscription MMORPG, went free to play, then added buy to play expansions, and is now returning to the subscription.

Learn more about Rift Prime at the game's 2018 Producer Letter page.