Codemasters has announced that on January 4th of next year, ArchLord will no longer require a monthly fee to play.

"The period of 4th December to 4th January 2007 will be the games last official billing period before the game switches to a service with no monthly subscription fee.

Existing 3, 6 or 12-month ArchLord subscribers will be eligible for refunds as part of the switch to a free to play service; for further details visit archlordgame.com/freetoplay

As ArchLord moves to being a free to play game, Codemasters Online Gaming will be offering free in-game credits to all existing and future players. The credits will enable players to access the Chantra shop and purchase a range of in-game enhancements to assist players within the game.

ArchLord will continue to receive content updates, including the hotly-anticipated Episode 2, a free expansion, which is due to launch in the coming weeks and will available to all existing players.

New players who purchase a retail copy of ArchLord will also be able to play without paying for a subscription. The ArchLord retail box provides players with 30 days free play and, at the end of this period, the game will have switched to its free subscription model."