Relic Hunters Legend shifts from a free-to-play model to a premium launch in an effort to become "more sustainable"

Rogue Snail, the developer behind Relic Hunters Legend, recently revealed plans to shift the game from a free-to-play model to a premium one.

This decision comes after the studio encountered publishing challenges. Last June, Rogue Snail regained the rights to the game after separating from Gearbox Publishing, which has since been renamed Arc after certain layoffs. The developer opted for a change in the game's business model, aiming for greater sustainability as a self-publishing entity.

The game will also transition from being exclusively online to offering offline play, shifting from cloud-based saves to local ones. Currently in Early Access, the shooter is set to launch in 2023, priced at $20.

Mark Venturelli, CEO of Rogue Snail, stated, "The last couple of years have been extremely rough for everyone in the industry, and for us the challenge was to deliver the game we promised to our community and keep the lights on here at Rogue."

He added, "As a small Brazilian indie studio, just focusing on making the game as good as possible and not having to worry about monetization and servers was the clear best choice. We still believe that it is possible to make fair, free-to-play games that are sustainable, but this was the solution we found to keep the game alive and vibrant for years to come."