Trion Worlds’ free to play MMO RIFT is still very much alive and kicking with a new paid expansion called Prophecy of Ahnket now available. There’s a twist though – anyone who logs into RIFT till May 14th will receive the expansion for free. Permanently.

You’ll have to act fast though – after May 14th, it will cost $19.99. The expansion contains new zones, raids, a new level cap of 70, Legendary Abilities, new Eternal items, equipment enhancement through in-game trials and a new Looking for Raid feature.

There will also be a free Prophecy of Ahnket Cache given for free that includes various items and in-game rewards such as the Individual Reward Charges for the Looking for Raid system. Trion has also announced that the Ethereal Drake Mount, Asha Catari’s Raimnet and Ring of Ahnket Portrait Frame can also be purchased as part of the Celestial Adventurer’s Pack. The level 65 boost can also be purchased from the RIFT store for 6000 Credits.

That being said, Trion Worlds’ RIFT is itself a divergent game. It sticks to many of the tried and true tropes of MMO games like questing and earning experience to level up while hunting for better gear. However, it introduces its own little nuances to make the game unique to genre veterans and to make things even better, it’s gone free to play in recent months. That’s a whole ton of content to experience without needing to subscribe.

So without any further ado, we come to the latest expansion/update Nightmare Tide.

"Trion Worlds has put in significant effort to make these areas stand out and even if you're not a big fan of coral reefs or deep sea diving, it's hard to deny that the new areas in Nightmare Tide are gorgeous."

As if Telara hadn’t seen enough death, destruction and disarray with the various rifts breaking out, it now has to deal with the onset of nightmares. An attack on the king and queen of Telara prompts you to explore the new Plane of Water in order to combat these nightmares. This means many things, including new gear, new Rifts to explore, new Aquatic Mounts (including a bad-ass Shark Mount that can walk on land), increasing the level cap to 65 and three large zones full of quests.

The three new zones in the Plane of Water are Goboro Reef, Draumheim and Traken Glacier. If it weren’t obvious by now, Nightmare Tide takes place completely underwater. This introduces some interesting new movement and exploration possibilities as enemies can attack from both beneath and above you. Trion Worlds has put in significant effort to make these areas stand out and even if you’re not a big fan of coral reefs or deep sea diving, it’s hard to deny that the new areas in Nightmare Tide are gorgeous.

Experienced players will no doubt want to blaze right through to the action. The new set-up of quests may disappoint slightly since they entail the usual “Kill X number of enemies” or “Fetch this item and deliver it to that location”.  Nonetheless, it’s still a blast to battle hordes of enemies and explore the world around you, learning more about this most recent catastrophe in the process. As a fan of WildStar’s combat system, which included threat circles and interrupts, it felt a little weird to suddenly go back to the point and click method of attacking. That’s purely a personal preference though and the combat in Nightmare Tide is responsive enough.

The main attraction to the newest update isn’t with the Instant Adventures or quests but in the new Nightmare Rifts. These aren’t like your typical rifts at all – rather than having a fixed set of tiers to complete, Nightmare Rifts allow you to keep going until the time eventually runs out. It’s possible to progress through several dozens of tiers, with increasing difficulty, until you eventually have to call it quits. It’s a simple but fun addition, one that provides different kinds of loot but also serves as an objective-type mode to enjoy with friends. While there have been some complaints with the loot obtained in the new Nightmare Rifts, I had a blast with them.

"Rift: Nightmare Tide may not feel like an overwhelming expansion but it's a solid update that provides tons of new content, a lifeline for lower level players and plenty of opportunities for more experienced players."

While one hasn’t had a chance to experience the new Raid, it’s a testament to how much content is contained within Nightmare Tide in addition to the new story missions, Nightmare Rifts and such that even end-game players will find plenty to do. Keep in mind that adjustments have been made to the older raids with Nightmare Tide so if you feel like going back and conquering them on Expert, you also have that waiting for you.

Other new changes that Nightmare Tide brings to Rift are the revamped Mentoring System, which allows players above level 10 to immediately attain maximum level and enjoy the new content (with some restrictions of course), and the new Masteries. Those who rise above level 60 will have five new Mastery tiers to choose from.

When you hit level 61 onwards, each new level provides a choice of four different abilities within that Mastery. If you opt for the Warrior’s way, you can either extend your life with Dying Breath or choose to regain 25 percent of Endurance every 3 seconds with Enduring Survival at level 61. It’s an interesting twist to the end-game leveling and allows for even more customization for veteran player skill sets.

Rift: Nightmare Tide may not feel like an overwhelming expansion that significantly changes everything till now – like, say, Warlords of Draenor for WoW – but it’s a solid update that provides tons of new content, a lifeline for lower level players and plenty of opportunities for more experienced players. I’ve felt like I’ve only scratched the surface of it all – to think that there’s even content to get lost in is incredible.

Trion Worlds’ underrated but fun free to play MMO RIFT has a new expansion pack today and it’s a meaty one. Nightmare Tide is free for all players but can also be picked up in various Collector’s Editions that will bestow various benefits including new slots for equipment, a shark mount, an instant raise to level 60 and much more. Check out the trailer above for more information.

Nightmare Tide adds a ton of new content to the base game including Nightmare Rifts which present different challenges which yield intriguing rewards. You’ll also have new adventures to experiences across three different zones and will need the help of underwater mounts to press the advantage.

If that weren’t enough you also have Legendary Challenges including the Nightmare Coast level 60 dungeon, expert dungeon options at level 65 and Shadow from Beyond Chronicle for two player groups. Did we mention you can recruit your own minions as well to seek out treasures and complete tasks? There’s so much more to the expansion than that so make sure you check it out today.

Rift, the pioneering free to play massively multiplayer online role playing game from Trion Studios, has just received its latest update. Titled Rift 2.5 Song of Dreams, the update features a host of all new content, including an all-new underwater mini saga called Song of Dreams, as well as Gifts of the Fae, a new Level-60 version of a favorite Telaran instance every week starting November 13.

Other additions to the game include level requirements on quests and content in Iron Pine Peak being reduced (allowing players to level straight from Gloamwood or Stonefield), improvements to the PvP matchmaking, along with a new Planar Attunement Nexus, a new Infinity Gate Dimension, International Shards, and more.

The new Rift update was accompanied by the game’s launch on Steam, which saw the free to play MMORPG pull in 25% more new users than usual; against the backdrop of heavyweight MMOs like Guild Wars 2, Final Fantasy XIV, and World of Warcraft battling it out, Rift continues to chug away silently in the background.

Scott Hartsman, CEO of Trion Worlds stated that, “Steam has been an amazing partner for Trion. When we first launched Rift, Steam’s dedicated community of gamers helped bring our vision of a dynamic, exciting world to life. We’re thrilled to now bring the free version of the game to the largest network of PC gamers online.”

The digital bundles are detailed as follows, according to the developer’s blog:

Rift Ascended Edition ($19.99)

• $10 Credit Pack (500 Credits)
• 15-day Patron Pass
• Tartagon Mount
• Bogling Wastrel Companion Pet
• 24-Slot Bag

Rift Patron Edition ($39.99)

• $15 Credit Pack (2250 Credits)
• 30-day Patron Pass
• Tartagon Mount
• Spindrel Mount
• Cyclone Mount
• Bogling Wastrel Companion Pet
• Mini-Regulos Companion Pet
• 24-Slot Bag
• Personal Banker
• Portable Teleporter
• Faction Tabards

Rift Ultimate Hardcore Patron Edition ($99.99)

• $50 Credit Pack (8500 Credits)
• 60-day Patron Pass
• Tartagon Mount
• Spindrel Mount
• Cyclone Mount
• Armored White Tiger Mount
• Ghost, the While Hellbug Mount
• Bogling Wastrel Companion Pet
• Mini-Regulos Companion Pet
• 24-Slot Bag
• Personal Banker
• Portable Teleporter
• Faction Tabards
• Votan Fragger Weapon Transmog

Considering the troubles that have plagued Trion throughout the year, including the failure of Defiance and the closing of offices in the beginning of 2013, it’ll be interesting to see how RIFT going free to play affects the company. Stay tuned for more details.

Director of communications at Trion Worlds Europe Jonathan Goddard stated that, “As part of its recent company realignment, Trion’s European publishing office based in Guildford, UK, will be closing down. European localised versions of Trion’s live and upcoming games will not be affected as all regional game development and support continues from Redwood City, CA.”

Along with Defiance, Rift and titles like ArcheAge and End of Nations which are still in development, it seems Redwood City is now the hub for all Trion-based activity. Despite lay-offs earlier this year, the studio appointed a new CEO with Scott Hartsman. However, following his appointment, the San Diego branch of the developer was closed. Stay tuned for more on Trion’s future.

he developer behind the recently released free-to-play MMO Action-RPG Defiance has been hit with layoffs. Trion Worlds are responsible for their successful previous MMORPG that was released back in 2011 Rift. They have recently announced that Rift is going free-to-play on June 12th and will still continue to create fresh content for the players. Meanwhile, Defiance has been receiving mixed reviews. While the game has significant potential, it also has a fair share of issues that need to be addressed. You can take a look at our Defiance review right here for yourself if you’re interested.

Here is the full statement from Trion Worlds regarding the layoffs:

“To best position Trion in a rapidly changing industry, we have reorganized our teams and are expanding our free to play offering. With Defiance, we delivered a great game that more than one million gamers registered to play and continue to enjoy. As we progress from launch to ongoing development of the game, we are adjusting our staffing levels to deliver new content and improved features. RIFT, and our other titles in development, were unaffected by these changes. We are very much looking forward to the free to play release of RIFT and are excited by the other new titles currently in development.”

IGN has also reported that the company has laid off about 80% of their staff. However, a studio representative has stated that those numbers are “exaggerated”.

Trion Worlds delivered one of my favorite MMORPGs which was Rift, and it would be sad to see them go. Hopefully, things are not as severe as they seem to be and only time will indicate what will happen in the future.

Lets us know what you think about this situation in the comments below.

Check back on GamingBolt for future updates as this story develops.

Trion World’s creative director Bill Fisher has stated that Rift is going free-to-play because of  “a change brought on by player feedback from surveys, community postings, in-game reports, and passionately written emails over the last two years.”

He continues explaining that: “After June 12, all players will have total access to the entire world: every dungeon, every raid, every Warfront, and every level. We won’t be locking our content or advancement behind walls – our goal is to break down every barrier.”

The subscription model will still be available for users who want extra benefits. The subscribers in the game will be referred to as ‘Patrons’. However, the developer reassures that the entire game is open to everyone for free.

Here are some more quotes from the statement regarding the Patrons and free-to-play.

“Patrons receive access to a suite of abilities usable once per day that grant buffs to experience, currency, notoriety, and a number of additional convenience benefits,” details Fisher.

“We are not jacking up the experience curve to make these benefits required – all of these bonuses are completely optional and playing without them you will experience RIFT exactly as it is today. We want to make sure that becoming a Patron is a great value, but it’s not required. If you’re a free player and want the same benefits for a specific duration, you can purchase Patron Passes of varying lengths from the in-game RIFT Store.

Rift will transition into free-to-play will occur on June 12, which is also the same day of the next major content patch Rift 2.3: Empyreal Assault. The game will also introduce a new addition of currency called Rift Exchange (REX). “Initially purchased with real money, REX is an item that grants store Credits to your wallet when consumed. Before being consumed, it can be traded between players or sold on the auction house,” Fisher has stated.

If you want more information, please take a peek at their official blog post.

Check out the developer diary video below:

Are you happy that Rift is going free-to-play? Let us know in the comments below.

Check back on GamingBolt for more MMO updates.

Working with Trion for 4.5 years, Hanline recently posted on his FB page that, “This is a huge opportunity for me professionally, and I will be working closely with some good friends. Nothing but love for Trion, but with the maturation of Rift, there was no urgent demand for my specific skill set.

“Thanks and deep respect to the people I have shared this whitewater ride with. Now it’s time for some new horizons.”

Those new horizons will involve Zynga’s upcoming Solstice Arena, which is in development at A Bit Lucky, acquired by Zynga. The title will reportedly be multi-platform.

Source: 2P

In an official statement to GIBiz, Trion stated that, “As a response to market conditions, product timelines and the natural evolution of our company, we have made some organizational changes, which include a workforce reduction. This was a difficult decision and we wish the best for those affected by these changes. At Trion, we remain focused on delivering top quality online game experiences, and are committed to supporting Rift and launching our highly anticipated new titles Defiance, Warface, and End of Nations in 2013.”

The news first began on Twitter with customer service employee Katie Biernacki tweeting, “Trion Layoffs are happening. Not a good day. If anyone has a lead for a Sr. QA or Assistant Lead QA job, please let me know.”

Hopefully, those currently unemployed will be able to find work soon.