WildStar will be a subscription-based MMO

Upcoming sci-fi MMO WildStar will require a subscription to play when it launches on PC in Spring 2014, developer Carbine Studios has confirmed.

Carbine will sell 1, 3, 6, and 12 month subscriptions for WildStar, with prices ranging from $14.99/€12.99/£8.99 for a rolling one-month subscription, to $10.99/€9.99/£6.99 a month when purchasing a year's subscription upfront.

Alongside regular subscriptions, WildStar will also feature an in-game item--C.R.E.D.D.--which will add 30 days of subscription time to a users' account when used. C.R.E.D.D. will be sold in WildStar's Community Exchange, an in-game store that will always sell items anonymously to players at the lowest available price at the time.

C.R.E.D.D. will also be sold for real money, with its price set at $19.99/€16.99/£11.99. C.R.E.D.D. can be stockpiled, but cannot be gifted or traded.

The standard edition of WildStar will be sold for $59.99/€44.99/£34.99 and will contain the game, 30 days of subscription time, and 3 week-long guest passes, adds Carbine.

Carbine also confirmed that it was investigating the possibility of incorporating microtransactions into the game, but is yet to introduce such a scheme. "We’re interested in microtransactions, but only if we can offer it in a way that fits with the vision of WildStar. We’re approaching this topic very carefully and will share details as they come available," said the developer in a statement.