SEGA is exploring a new business model for the project but didn't confirm it will be free-to-play yet.
In a conversation with investors, SEGA described the development of the shooter HYENAS as challenging and revealed that they are exploring a business model that would benefit the game.
Previously, SEGA shared the game would not be free-to-play, despite the competition in the market of online first-person shooters. Now, it appears the option seems more viable.
When speaking to journalists, the publisher did not confirm whether the game will be free-to-play, but they mentioned that they have been reviewing the business model for about a year.
"We have dedicated the past year to reviewing our business model alongside months of extremely valuable player testing of the gameplay experience," SEGA said. "We're very excited with this progress and the reaction to yesterday's gameplay reveal. We'll build on that foundation with our Closed Beta test beginning 31st August and use this insight to finalize our plans for launch."
The next step for the game is closed beta testing of the shooter on PC scheduled to kick off on August 31st. The company wants to collect feedback that will be used to make a final decision regarding the distribution model.
In case you missed the news about the game, HYENAS is a PvEEEvP shooter from the studio that developed Alien: Isolation. The original concept was to have multiple teams of four players trying to steal valuable merch while simultaneously fighting against AI enemies.
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