Daybreak Games announces H1Z1 is now free-to-play, the announcement coming a surprisingly quick eight days after the official launch of the battle royale shooter. This post announces the sale of Bronze, Silver, and Gold Battle Royale packs, and this post covers the transition to free-to-play, including how to apply for a refund. They note Steam's refund policy applies, so this will only work for those who bought the game within the past two weeks and have played for under two hours. This trailer celebrates the news, and here are the details, including word on the launch of the H1Z1 Pro League:

You asked, we heard you. Experience the game that put Battle Royale on the map and then redefined it with Auto Royale, for FREE. Yep, you read that right! Starting at approximately 10 AM PT, you can download H1Z1 for FREE!

You asked, we heard you. Experience the game that put Battle Royale on the map and then redefined it with Auto Royale, for FREE!

Free to play isn’t the only thing to get hyped about. The H1Z1 Pro League just confirmed the 15 esports teams that will be participating in the inaugural season, the official venue location in Las Vegas, and its streaming partnership with Facebook. More info can be found here

“We are very excited to announce that H1Z1 will be free to play starting today. Not only does this decision allow us to share our version of Battle Royale and Auto Royale with even more players, but it signifies the next step in making H1Z1 a must-watch esport. The Pro League is going to redefine esports when it kicks off in Las Vegas this April, and whether a person is an aspiring pro athlete or just wants to play with friends, we want everyone to have the chance to play the most competitive battle royale game.” -- Anthony Castoro, H1Z1 General Manager

To thank all of our loyal players who helped make awesome, game-changing decisions during our time in Early Access, we'll be rewarding everyone who already purchased the game with the “H1Z1 Appreciation Pack”, containing the following items:

• Gasrunner Hoodie
• Bloom Survivor T-Shirt
• Splinter Camo ARV
• 10 Victory Crates
• 10,000 Skulls

We’ve also added Bronze, Silver, and Limited Edition Gold Battle Royale packs for the Free To Play Launch.