Atari Europe and Cryptic Studios have announced that Champions Online will be free to play worldwide from January 25th.

By dropping the subscription model the game will rely on the sale of premium content and the new Gold status which will offer extra features and unlocks most of the game content for a monthly fee of £10.34/€14.94.

"It's a genuine pleasure to be able to announce our release date for Champions Online: Free for All," said John Needham, CEO, Cryptic Studios. "On January 25, 2011, any gamer or would-be superhero can play within the ever-improving world of Champions Online for no cost whatsoever."