https://www.techpowerup.com/327090/amazons-free-to-play-mmo-throne-and-liberty-launches-to-massive-audience-despite-usd-40-early-access-fee
 
Amazon Games recently launched the long-awaited free-to-play MMORPG, Throne and Liberty, in early access, and the game appears to have gone down quite well with the community. On Thursday, mere moments after the launch, Throne and Liberty already had a peak player count of 53,884—a figure it likely earned during its advanced access period in South East Asia and Korea, where it has been available since as early as December 2023.

Since then, Throne and Liberty has continued its success, rising to as many as 54,720 concurrent players on Saturday, September 28. While this only places it in third place for current top sellers on Steam, this player count is in spite of the free-to-play game's early access pass costing a minimum of $40 on Steam. Throne and Liberty has also garnered its significant following despite only 60% of its Steam user reviews being positive, making its success even more anomalous.
 
While 60% positive certainly isn't a terrible steam player rating, games that achieved similar player counts, like DayZ, Cyberpunk 2077, and Helldivers 2, typically have significantly higher ratings on Steam. Most of the negative reviews for Throne and Liberty criticize the gameplay mechanics for feeling outdated and sluggish, with others complaining about pay-to-win bundles and microtransactions.

Throne and Liberty has been in development since 2011, and has seen a number of changes throughout its development cycle, starting life as party of the Lineage series, then being renamed as Project TL, and ultimately settling on Throne and Liberty, which appears to mostly be an isolated IP. During its short early access period, Throne and Liberty starts at $39.99 for the Standard Early Access Pack, which includes several Morphs—essentially character disguises with added perks—and skins. Meanwhile, the $69.98 Deluxe Early Access Pack nets you additional Morphs and cosmetics alongside 500 Lucent—the game's in-game currency—and the $99.97 Ultimate Early Access Pack grants you all the benefits of the other packs with an additional 1,000 Lucent on top.
 
Throne and Liberty is slated to launch fully as a free-to-play game on October 1, and the player count for the game will likely spike even more after that, since, according to SteamDB's store data, the game has over 109,000 followers and a peak Twitch audience of 152,251 viewers. The game's Steam description bills it as a guild-based MMORPG with grand battles against mythical creatures and other guilds as well as massive castle sieges and diverse weapon, character class, and gameplay options:

"Join the battle and immerse yourself in the exhilarating world of THRONE AND LIBERTY, a free-to-play game that revolves around guild-focused combat. Engage in thrilling battles against dozens to thousands of other players and fantastic creatures in group battles and massive Castle Sieges. Quick thinking and active decision-making are critical because every choice you make in the ever-changing world of Solisium carries weight and directly shapes your gameplay experience.

THRONE AND LIBERTY captures the essence of classic MMORPGs while introducing new gameplay elements, adding depth and excitement at every turn. Choose your dual-weapon loadout to customize your approach on the battlefield, or morph into creatures of the land, water and sky to traverse the vast and seamless world, or even take temporary control of a defeated boss to turn the tide of battle in your favor. Prepare for an unforgettable adventure where you'll need to gather your guild, prepare for battle and claim the throne."

I guess gamers are willing to pay extra to play a game earlier.