TERA goes free-to-play in the Far East

Korean game publisher NHN is switching its fantasy MMO TERA to free-to-play in Japan and Korea.

NHN publishes the game in both regions. TERA will switch to free-to-play on January 10th in Korea and mid-February in Japan, according to the announcement, which was translated by MMO Culture. The Japanese version has already gone free-to-play, but its in-game currency shop has not gone live yet.

“As you may have read today, NHN – the publisher for TERA in Korea – has decided to change TERA’s business model to be free. The industry has shifted in this direction and the Korean gaming market has always been on the forefront of this shift. NHN’s decisions are their own as is every territory that services TERA. TERA currently remains a subscription-based game in North America and Europe,” said En Masse Entertainment community manager Catherine Park in a post on the game’s official forums.

“Regardless of the news from Korea, the good news is that TERA will continue to grow and improve with new game content in North America, and all content will be available for us should we decide to evaluate their use. We know you are full of questions but that is all we have for now. Enjoy the holidays and look to January for more information – 2013 is going to be huge for us and we can’t wait to get started.”

En Masse Entertainment handles TERA in North American and Europe, where he game currently remains subscription-based.