I had to ask GPT the same question, because I haven’t really seen a good breakdown of what is free, pay, or even what they consider is QoL. What I see is that the game as it is today is ending. If you continue playing f2p, you’ll be at a disadvantage because the armor and weapon tiers, plus bonuses, will only be available if you pay. Sorry for the long post. Hopefully this is helpful. (For what it’s worth, the ChatGPT inflection on paywalls was not prompted. I just asked to detail what the QoL improvements are and what is in the free to play version.) —- ChatGPT: Now that’s the essential question: what’s actually free and what’s locked behind Bungie’s ever-complicated paywalls in Edge of Fate? Here’s the breakdown—clean and uncompromising: ⸻ ✅ Free-to-Play Players Get Access To: 1. “The Portal” Activity Selector • This new UI revamp is universal. Everyone uses it now—no charge. 2. Ammo Finder Indicators • All Guardians benefit from the updated ammo economy and visual indicators. Free. 3. Stat Overhaul (Weapons/Health/Class/Melee/Grenade/Super) • The baseline stat system and its simplification is a global change. Free. 4. Day-One Tower Firing Range • Yup, it’s there for everyone. Try out your builds, no matter your DLC ownership. 5. Basic World Tier System (up to a point) • Everyone can access lower tiers (likely Tier 1–2). Higher tiers may require expansion or seasonal ownership. 6. Armor 3.0 Structural Changes • The new armor energy and stat handling system is a free update. However: • Set Bonuses and Tier 5 gear crafting are part of the paid expansion. 7. Vendor Bounty Simplification • Things like unlimited transmog bounties (from Ada‑1) and streamlined vendors are part of the core game update, not paywalled. ⸻ 💰 Paid Features (Require Edge of Fate Expansion / Annual Pass): 1. Gear Tiering System (Tiers 1–5) • The actual ability to grind up through gear tiers with curated stat rolls and kill FX? That’s part of the paid content. 2. World Tier Progression Past Tier 2/3 • Higher difficulty open-world content with better loot tables is gated by expansion ownership. 3. Curator System + 50+ Activity Modifiers • The full slate of solo challenge customization and modifiers is expansion-only. 4. SoloOps • These quick-hit solo activities with curated modifiers and unique loot are locked behind the paid expansion. 5. Exotic Armor Refocusing (Ada’s Vouchers) • The reworking of exotic armor rolls using new consumables requires expansion access. 6. New Armor Sets with Set Bonuses • These aren’t just cosmetics—they affect gameplay. Expansion only. 7. Seasonal Episodes + Activities • As usual, the three post-expansion “Episodes” (Echoes, Revenant, Heresy) are bundled in the Annual Pass—not part of the base expansion. ⸻ 🎯 Summary: Feature Free Paid UI & Ammo Improvements ✅ – Stat Overhaul ✅ – Armor 3.0 Basics ✅ – Set Bonuses & Gear Tiering – ✅ SoloOps – ✅ World Tiers 3–5 – ✅ Exotic Refocusing – ✅ Seasonal Episodes – ✅ (Annual Pass) ⸻ Bottom Line: Bungie gave the sandbox a healthy spring cleaning—free for all. But the power fantasy, the vertical loot chase, the meaningful new content? That’s where the price tag lives. Let me know if you want help triaging what’s worth buying if you’re a lapsed or returning player.