Hyper Universe goes free-to-play mid-January, discusses monetization

Hyper Universe is going free-to-play soon, as Nexon announced a couple of weeks ago. Now, we know that the official launch is happening mid-January.

A new Producer letter reveals some insight on the monetization model, which is said to be “pay for bling”. Hyper Universe's Producer Hyun K says that you can outfit your Hypers and account, with the bulk of the Cash Shop consisting of Hyper skins. The price of these skins varies (for example, it's more expensive if it includes a new voiceover), with the average price sitting at $10, but usually ranging from $6 to $13.

The shop will offer bundles that include Hypers, skins, slots and emotes for a more interesting price. And – guess what – there won't be any random loot box exclusive items, or cash equips. Nexon says there will be “no advantages, period.” Let's hope so.

Hyun K then details how you get the first Hypers and the following ones in this statement:

“Some of you have wondered if you will need to pay for Hypers. Hypers can be unlocked with 15k GP, earned through our crafting system, or purchased for $5, but we want our non-paying players to be on equal footing with paying players when they start. We have therefore made it so that you are equipped with a good set of Hypers from the beginning. From level 1 to 5, you receive 4 free Hypers (Allen, Athena, Celine, and Sun Wukong). At level 6, you receive 30k GP, which means you can choose to buy 2 more Hypers. At level 8 and then again at 10, you get a Hyper Coupon that allows you to unlock a Hyper of your choice. By this time, you should have amassed enough GP to buy another Hyper or so, not to mention all the in-game and community events we run to give away free Hypers.”

There are a couple more points on the Hyper Universe monetization, but the letter ends with this: “I can guarantee you that we will never sell anything that gives a player an edge over another.”

I'm crossing my fingers.