Here’s another instalment of our F2Pmeter series, which you should buckle into your seat for, as we will have a closer look at the free-to-play-ness of World of Tanks this time. In the improbable case that you don't know the game, World of Tanks is a quite popular team-based action MMO dedicated to armoured warfare in which players are able to take control of their own historically accurate tanks to engage in intense team battles with others from all across the world.
The game blends strategy, action, simulation and RPG elements, combining great visuals, a complex physics system, and awesome sound effects to deliver an exciting and immersive gaming experience. But... is it really free to play?
Remember that our testing candidates begin with a 100% of free-to-play-ness, and depending on how our questions have to be answered, this percentage will change.
Let's get started then.
No. When launching in 2010 in Russia and 2011 in North America and Europe, World of Tanks incorporated a free-to-play business model, not charging players as they create their accounts, download the client and start playing for as long and as much as they wish.
Yes (optional) – -15%. Although not officially advertising an (optional) subscription feature, Wargaming provides players the option to purchase a premium membership with real-world money. In addition to a cleaner and nicer-looking garage, premium members are granted 50% more credit earnings per battle, 50% more EXP per battle, 50% more crew EXP per battle. There are different duration options to choose from, ranging from 1 to 360 days, pretty much reminding us of a non-recurring subscription.
No. For the time being, all patches released since launch have been made available for free to everyone.
Yes – -5%. Players may visit the cash shop in order to spend real-world money on the premium currency in form of in-game gold, premium account time and premium vehicles.
No. In the course of entering the eSports scene, all items available to paying customers which didn’t serve sole time-serving purposes or just helped to gain levels faster were completely removed from the shop.
No. The UI in World of Tanks can be customised for free; there are no further options reserved for premium accounts or available for purchase.
No – -15%. While free-to-play players and premium members both have access to the same playable factions in the game and their respective tech-trees, the cash shop additionally offers premium vehicles that are unavailable to non-paying users.
No. Due to the simple fact that World of Tanks doesn’t feature a huge amount of items players might like to trade with each other, the title doesn’t incorporate an Auction House.
Yes – -10%. Players are limited to one garage slot per nation and have to purchase additional slots using the premium currency only available with real-world money. When buying a premium vehicle, the additional garage slot is already included.
Yes. Players aren’t restricted in any way regarding access to game modes or maps; everyone is able to enjoy the entire content for free.
No. World of Tanks allows everyone to enjoy the entire game and all its end-game content, including tournaments and clan wars, without any restrictions for and absolutely free.
Yes – +10%. Despite the premium options players can pay for with real-world money, World of Tanks seems pretty fair. Players aren’t forced to pay in order to be able to compete with others as they can only pay for time-saving and convenience items, but are unable to gain an unfair advantage over non-paying gamers by making purchases in the cash shop.
Our F2Pmeter test of World of Tanks results in a fair 65% of free-to-play-ness.
