Arma 3 dev is releasing completely free competitive FPS Argo next month
No micro-transactions here folks.
Last year Arma 3 developer Bohemia Interactive announced an experimental "Incubator" program where it would develop smaller experimental games and release them for free as sort of a testing ground. Now one of those games, the 5v5 competitive FPS Argo, has a set release date of 22nd June.
Unlike most free-to-play shooters, Argo won't have micro-transactions and it will be completely free for everyone. You won't even need Arma 3 to play it.
The reason for this generosity is that Bohemia wants to both advertise the mod-friendly mercurial nature of its platform (in which the original version of DayZ was born) while also experimenting with game mechanics that wouldn't feel at home with Arma 3's more realistic approach.
"We now know much more about what it takes to develop a competitive game, thanks in no small part due to the amazing feedback of our players," said project lead Lukáš Haládik on the Argo blog.
Beyond Argo itself being free, Bohemia is also releasing a limited version of Arma 3's editing software as a teaser for aspiring developers who would benefit from buying the full game.
"As a special bonus, Argo will also include a trimmed down version of the well-known 3D Scenario Editor from Arma 3," Haládik explained. "Although we still see Arma 3 as the primary modding platform, and therefore the available content in Argo's editor will remain somewhat limited, we still wanted our players to be able to create their own versions of Argo game modes or even completely new ones. Creativity stands at the core of all Bohemia games, and Argo is no different."
If players really want to support Bohemia, there is an option to buy a €10 / $10 Argo Supporter's Pack that includes some cosmetic goodies like 14 exclusive animations in the MVP screen, 22 apparel items, a highlighted name in the leaderboards, access to premium servers exclusive to supporters, and access to vehicles in Argo's Scenario Editor.
If you don't want to wait a few weeks, you can currently play the prototype version of Argo right now.