Throne and Liberty just had its biggest moment since launch: the Frozen Divide expansion scrapped the old grind-heavy progression and added a ton of content. If large-scale PvP and weapon-swap combat are what you want, it's genuinely good and free to try. If you want a story-driven PvE MMO — or you can't stomach a pay-to-progress model — look elsewhere. We don't sugarcoat it below.
I bounced off Throne and Liberty for one honest reason: the grind. It's a game that wants your time — and mine was better spent with my kid and on the things that actually matter to me. The Frozen Divide expansion lightened the progression, which genuinely helps. But make no mistake, this is still a time-heavy MMO at heart. Before you commit, be honest with yourself about what it's going to ask of you.
Throne and Liberty (NCSOFT, published by Amazon Games) launched in October 2024 to a massive 332,000-player peak, then bled players hard over its first year — largely over monetization. In mid-2026 it got a real shot in the arm. Here's the straight talk on whether it's worth your time now.
What's new: the Frozen Divide ("Nix") expansion
Dropped June 25, 2026 (update 4.0.0), this is the biggest content push since launch — and it addressed one of the loudest complaints:
- Progression overhaul: the old, grind-heavy Enhancement and Sync systems (and Lithographs) are gone, replaced by a cleaner Item Level + Inheritance system. Gear progression is far more intuitive now.
- New Nix region and a raised level cap of 60.
- New weapon — Gauntlets: a close-range Tank/DPS hybrid that swaps between a heavy, resilient stance and a fast, aggressive clawed one.
- New co-op dungeons and high-stakes open-world PvP zones — with more coming (a new Archboss, Battleground, and an August "Colossus" encounter on the roadmap).
The result: player numbers jumped roughly +36% month-over-month after the expansion. It's the healthiest the game has been in a while — though still far off its launch peak.
The honest breakdown
✓ What it does well
- Weapon-swap combat — two weapons equipped at once, flip mid-fight; one character can fill multiple roles without rerolling.
- Large-scale open-world PvP — castle sieges with hundreds of players, contested zones, organic world PvP. This is its best pillar.
- Genuinely F2P-friendly in PvE — you can experience the whole PvE game for free.
- Free to try — zero risk to sample it.
✗ The real knocks
- Pay-to-win / pay-to-progress — the persistent, deserved criticism. Spenders get stronger, faster; it matters most in PvP.
- Weak narrative — the story and questing lag well behind the genre's best (e.g., FFXIV).
- RNG & meta pressure — power can hinge on luck and chasing the current meta.
- Mixed community — toxicity and monetization gripes are common in the forums.
Who should play — and who should skip
Play it if: you want open-world MMO PvP and mass sieges, you like flexible weapon-swap combat, and you're okay with an NCSOFT-style monetization model (or happy to stay F2P/casual). Skip it if: you're chasing a story-driven PvE MMO, or any hint of pay-to-win is a dealbreaker.
The 10-hour test
Because it's free, the smart move is simple: download it, play the intro campaign to around level 30 (~10 hours). That's enough to know whether the combat and PvP loops click for you — no money required to find out.
Kit for weapon-swapping & big PvP
T&L's weapon-swap combat and mass PvP reward quick inputs. You don't need fancy gear, but a good mouse genuinely helps.
Quick answers
Is Throne and Liberty pay-to-win?
Effectively pay-to-progress — the common criticism is fair. F2P players can experience all the PvE and earn most items via the auction house, but spenders progress faster and gain a real edge, which matters most in competitive PvP.
Is it worth playing in 2026?
Yes if you want open-world PvP and weapon-swap combat — the Frozen Divide expansion made it the best it's been, and it's free to try. No if you want a story-first PvE MMO or refuse any monetized power.
Is the game dead?
No, but it's far from its launch peak. It hit 332K concurrent at launch (Oct 2024) and settled far lower; the mid-2026 expansion brought a ~36% month-over-month rebound. It's active, especially in PvP.
What platforms is it on?
PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, with cross-play. It's free-to-play.