Free-To-Play ‘Firefall’ MMO Coming To The PlayStation 4

During Sony’s press conference at ChinaJoy 2015, it was announced that the MMO shooter Firefall will be coming to PlayStation 4. As confirmed by the game’s creative director, the free-to-play title is coming to the platform sometime in the future, however, no timeline on its release has been publicly established yet.

Firefall, the 3D sci-fi MMO from Red 5 Studios, has been available on Steam or direct download from the developer for some time now. The title is free to download with optional VIP subscription and an in-game store. Players can purchase Red Beans with real money and use them in the store to buy the subscription, pick up vanity items, or unlock battleframes early.

In Firefall, players choose and use battleframes to determine what kind of role they take in the game. There are five types of battleframes, and each type has at least two advanced frame types. The Dreadnaught battleframe, however, has three advanced types. Dreadnaught types can take a hit while shielding allies, Assaults mix offense with defense to get the job done, and Engineers set up turrets to destroy the enemy or provide support to friends. Biotech frames heal their partners while poisoning their enemies, and the Recon frames attack from a distance with immense amounts of damage.

Currently, players have to level a base frame, also called an Accord frame, to the max level of 40 before unlocking access to another frame for free. In the future, though, the entire progression system is changing. Once Firefall is updated with the new system, players will start with a base frame — an Accord Dreadnaught, Assault, Engineer, Biotech, or Recon — and then choose and evolve that accord frame into an advanced frame much earlier at level 20. For example, an Accord Biotech character created after these changes will no longer be able to reach level 40. Instead, at level 20, the player must choose between the Recluse and Dragonfly frames. After choosing, the player then continues to level the new frame from 20 to level 40.

Changes to the way players progress in Firefall and other major changes like alterations to the module system are not out yet. A producer for Firefall states on the official forums that these changes are not occurring because of the game’s release on the PlayStation 4, though. The producer also mentions that the move on to the PlayStation 4 is also very early in development, and details are still being ironed out. Not surprisingly, details like cross-play between the PC version and the PS4 version have not been mentioned at all this early in development.

Firefall will join existing MMO titles already available on the PS4 such as Elder Scrolls Online and Final Fantasy XIV.

Do you think Firefall will work well on the PlayStation 4?

[Images via Firefall]