The RIFT Community website now offers a new producer's letter where RIFT Executive Producer Bill "Daglar" Fisher outlines plans for the upcoming version 3.0 update that will add the Nightmare Tide expansion to Trion's MMORPG, as well what's happening between now and then, including the upcoming version 2.8 "Madness Wakes" update, and the ongoing Summerfest. Here's a bit:

This year we will release RIFT: Nightmare Tide, our next major expansion. Nightmare Tide will take us beyond Telara, into the Plane of Water – a realm of nightmares, dreams, madness and danger where you’ll encounter new foes, new allies, and confront plots that threaten the entirety of existence. What horrors and monstrosities have filled the abyssal depths left by Akylios? Prepare yourself to take the fight to the planes and face these threats head on!

In Nightmare Tide, you’ll dive into adventures in brand new open-world zones and story quest lines. You’ll team up with other Ascended and test your mettle in new planar dungeons, raids, raid rifts and slivers. You’ll take part in massive dynamic battles in the Plane of Water, seek out new artifacts and collections, and craft new weapons and armor. Access to all of this content will remain absolutely free – part of our promise to you since converting to our highly successful Free-to-Play system.