H1Z1 Goes Free to Play Today, Pro League Details Revealed

This morning developer Daybreak Game Company announced that H1Z1, the game that many credit for sparking the battle royale craze, is going completely free to play today. H1Z1, and with it Auto Royale, will be free starting noon central, and players who had purchased the game previously will get a nice little bonus package for showing their support. If you paid for H1Z1, you can expect a very generous "Appreciation Pack," which contains:

• Gasrunner Hoodie

• Bloom Survivor T-Shirt

• Splinter Camo ARV

• 10 Victory Crates

• 10,000 Skulls

"We are very excited to announce that H1Z1 will be free to play starting today," says H1Z1 General Manager Anthony Castoro. "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."

This morning the H1Z1 Pro League (H1PL) also revealed an exclusive deal with Facebook to broadcast the events of this year's inaugural season, which begins April 21 in Las Vegas. 15 charter teams will be competing throughout the season, including Cloud9, Vitality, Luminosity, Echo Fox, Team SoloMid, Alliance, and others. You can find a full list here.

"Our goal with H1PL is to take the leap from Esports 1.0 to 2.0, establishing a league where for the first time in esports history, everyone participates in success – the fans, the players, the teams and all of our supporting partners," said Jace Hall, Co-Chairman of Twin Galaxies. "The battle royale format has quickly become the most popular and entertaining multi-player video game genre, and we're confident that the H1PL will drive fan engagement and excitement to even higher levels through the use of groundbreaking production techniques along with access to Facebook's global gaming community."

The action kicks off on April 21. If you're in Las Vegas, the Caesars Entertainment studio is just steps away from the strip, otherwise, you can catch all of the action live on Facebook. We'll see you there!