Hi Vitarians! It has been great seeing so many people register their interest and play the Closed Beta. It’s amazing to see you in-game and I have appreciated how honest everyone has been with feedback – whether it be good or areas we need to improve.
We are already seeing how player-driven development can benefit the game with things like our overhaul of the Lot Upkeep system, or improving the speed for skilling up.
One thing that is equally important in the mid-term – and something I’ve been thinking about a lot – is how Vitare sustains itself long term. With the player-driven approach in mind, I wanted to share what the plan currently is, be honest about why this matters, and invite your feedback.
Vitare is a new game that has been built from scratch – it runs on infrastructure with real ongoing costs such as servers, tools, time, legal compliance. At some point, once the game is ready, it needs to generate enough to at least cover what it costs to exist. We’ve always wanted to build a game that is worth your hard earned money and not there to make an insane profit at your expense.
With that in mind, our proposal for Vitare is an optional subscription tier.
Subscription Tier Explained
An optional subscription tier, similar to what many online MMOs offer, at a monthly cost for players who want to support the game and get a few extras in return.
An important thing to flag is that a subscription would never be required to play, every gameplay system (lots, skills, money objects, etc) remain completely free, and it would never allow you to “pay to win”. The subscription is very much viewed as an enhancement, not a gate to entry.
Subscribers would get:
- The ability to own up to three lots instead of one
- Access to larger lot sizes – up to 100×100
- An immediate lot category change per month (bypassing 7 day cooldown)
- A monthly exclusive item that is never re-released – rotating between character cosmetics, recolours, or new decorative items
- A subscriber badge on your profile in-game
What subscribers will NOT get is faster money objects, better skill rates, or anything that changes how you compete with other players. I want the game to remain fully accessible and something you can work towards as both a free and paid player.
| Feature | Free | Subscriber (monthly cost) |
|---|---|---|
| 🏠 Lots owned | 1 lot | Up to 3 lots |
| 📐 Maximum lot size | 60×60 | 100×100 |
| 🏷️ Lot category change | 7-day cooldown | 7-day cooldown + 1 instant change/month |
| 🎁 Monthly cosmetic item drop | ❌ | ✅ |
| 🎖️ Subscriber badge | ❌ | ✅ |
| 💰 Weekly V$ login bonus | ✅ | ✅ |
| 🎮 All core gameplay systems | ✅ | ✅ |
| 🎯 Earn V$ in-game | ✅ | ✅ |
| 🛠️ Skills & interactions | ✅ | ✅ |
| ⚡ Gameplay advantage | ❌ | ❌ |
Why I think this is fair
Multiple lots is probably the most significant perk and I know some will see that as an advantage. I’ve thought about this – yes it is true that player with three lots can run three different spaces, but they still have to earn the V$ to buy/furnish them, pay the upkeep, attract visitors and build a reputation. The player still has to put in the same amount of work.
The monthly item drop is the part I’m most excited about. The plan is to make each of these items exclusive – so if you were subscribed in a particular month you will get that item and it won’t come back. Over time, long-term subscribers will build up a collection that reflects their time in Vitare which feels meaningful without being unfair.
What we’re not doing
I know there’s strong feelings around monetisation – especially when a game is asking you to part with your hard earned money. We have considered many options and feel this is the best way to proceed.
For example, we have considered just selling V$ directly – as other games do alongside a subscription – and whilst we are still debating this option for players who want to just build without undermining the earning loop.
The game will never be designed around squeezing purchases out of you, or locking the core gameplay behind paid tiers.
Your thoughts matter
Nothing is final at this time and this isn’t going to appear overnight – the game isn’t ready for it with us being in Closed Beta. This will only come once we feel the game is ready for a wider release and you’ve had the chance to shape it.
Drop your thoughts in our Discord and let us know! If you feel the option to purchase V$ might be a preferred route, or something else entirely, we’d love to know.
Thanks for being a part of Vitare at this early stage and look forward to hopefully many years to come!