EverQuest, the fantasy game that lured hordes of unsuspecting PC gamers into a lifetime of MMO playership, will be going free-to-play sometime in early March, after thirteen years of endless expansion, epic triumphs, and an untold number of divorces. Like other free MMO models, EQ will offer a very limited slice of the game's content: free accounts will only be able to choose between Human, Erudite, Barbarian, and Gnome races, and Warrior, Cleric, Wizard, and Rogue classes. Additionally, they'll only be able to access a single "tier" of spells, and won't be able to send in-game mail. Players that want to access additional content can pay a one-time fee of $5 for a silver subscription, or $14.99 monthly for full access.

EverQuest launched in 1999 and helped popularize the genre — it was inspired by earlier text-based MUDs (multi-user dungeons), but was one of the first MMOs to utilize 3D graphics. EQ producer Thom Terrazas says that "free-to-play is the best fit for EverQuest" and that the team is "looking forward to supporting the game and our dedicated fans for years to come" — so it looks like the legendary MMO may actually live up to its name.